PokerFraudAlert Forums - Poker Community Discussionhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/
This is for general discussion of the poker world. Please keep all poker scam-related stuff in the other forum.enSat, 23 May 2020 09:48:35 GMTvBulletin3https://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/images/misc/rss.pngPokerFraudAlert Forums - Poker Community Discussionhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/
Did a Betonline low stakes poker player get screwed out of a $52k bad beat jackpot because he got disconnected?https://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?20483-Did-a-Betonline-low-stakes-poker-player-get-screwed-out-of-a-52k-bad-beat-jackpot-because-he-got-disconnected&goto=newpost
Sat, 23 May 2020 09:48:35 GMT

20% player with Bad Beat
15% winner of the hand
12.5% players at the table
12.5% players at other BBJ tables
35% reseed
5% fee

In this case, he would have gotten 15% (about $52,500), the guy with quads would have gotten 20% (almost $70k), the other 4 players at the table would have shared 12.5% (meaning 3.125% each -- a little over $10.5k), about $43k would have been shared among the other BBJ tables, and the remainder of the jackpot would have been reseeded and taken as fees.

So he wasn't even the one most screwed here!

They've locked the 2+2 thread at his request, which I think is stupid, because the thread being open puts more pressure on Betonline to do the right thing!

https://twitter.com/#!/x/status/1263635447613468674
]]>Poker Community DiscussionTheXFactorhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?20477-Seminole-Hard-Rock-Tampa-Florida-Poker-Room-re-opensWSOP ESPN FULL EPISODE Archiveshttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?20471-WSOP-ESPN-FULL-EPISODE-Archives&goto=newpost
Thu, 21 May 2020 19:34:53 GMTPlease let me know where I can find ESPN Full Episode broadcasts of the WSOP 2003-2010? I can not find anywhere.
I have Poker GO but it does not go back that far.
Thanks for your help if any.Please let me know where I can find ESPN Full Episode broadcasts of the WSOP 2003-2010? I can not find anywhere.
I have Poker GO but it does not go back that far.

Thanks for your help if any.
]]>Poker Community DiscussionProverbs13.3https://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?20471-WSOP-ESPN-FULL-EPISODE-ArchivesTowers Casino in northern CA raided by California DOJ after reopening without permissionhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?20467-Towers-Casino-in-northern-CA-raided-by-California-DOJ-after-reopening-without-permission&goto=newpost
Thu, 21 May 2020 01:18:53 GMT

Towers Casino is a poker room located in Grass Valley, CA, which is in the greater Sacramento area. It is NOT an Indian casino, so it has no ability to ignore California state laws and regulations like the Indian ones do.

https://twitter.com/#!/x/status/1257554329994760196
]]>Poker Community DiscussionAhoosierAhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?20411-Player-disconnects-heads-up-in-ACR-Sunday-Million-tournamentWeekly poker game of Florida senior citizen killed 3, infected everyonehttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?20299-Weekly-poker-game-of-Florida-senior-citizen-killed-3-infected-everyone&goto=newpost
Wed, 15 Apr 2020 06:38:46 GMThttps://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/it-was-a-regular-poker-game-among-8-friends-within-weeks-coronavirus-killed-3-and-infected-all/ar-BB12D9yC
This was a disaster waiting to happen -- a poker game full of people aged 70 to 94, running until March 12.
Indeed, every single player in the game got coronavirus, and 3 of them died, including the 94-year-old.
Not sure why old people were still holding a game like this as late as March 12, given the known threat at that point to the elderly.https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/it...ll/ar-BB12D9yC

This was a disaster waiting to happen -- a poker game full of people aged 70 to 94, running until March 12.

Indeed, every single player in the game got coronavirus, and 3 of them died, including the 94-year-old.

Not sure why old people were still holding a game like this as late as March 12, given the known threat at that point to the elderly.
]]>Poker Community DiscussionDan Druffhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?20299-Weekly-poker-game-of-Florida-senior-citizen-killed-3-infected-everyoneDoyle now promoting ACR, major celebrities to hold charity tournament therehttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?20282-Doyle-now-promoting-ACR-major-celebrities-to-hold-charity-tournament-there&goto=newpost
Fri, 10 Apr 2020 00:27:42 GMT 1248391288321261573
:what

:what
]]>Poker Community DiscussionMrTicklehttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?20282-Doyle-now-promoting-ACR-major-celebrities-to-hold-charity-tournament-thereCorona Poker Gameshttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?20257-Corona-Poker-Games&goto=newpost
Sat, 04 Apr 2020 03:21:27 GMTDon't know if anyone else is doing this - and its a little bit of a pain - but I created a private group in pokerstars home games - i scheduled a few tournaments a week with family and friends. I collect Venmo or Cash app from everyone before the game and payout the same way.

We play 5 dollar games 3 times a week - that way kids and parents can be covered and enjoy the game easily.

We play a 25 dollar tournament on Sunday nights.

Just our way of socializing, enjoying poker, and getting through this mess with a little fun.

Not sharing because i want people asking to play - really only want people locally in our friend circle - although i could never say no to druff if he wanted in lol.

Everyone stay safe.

Longtime listener - even back to his old site with Micon - but don't like posting unless I have something worth sharing. Hopefully this sparks some games.

The other thing Druff would like - no rake !!!!!
]]>Poker Community Discussionownmatusowhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?20257-Corona-Poker-GamesStreaming poker playhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?20244-Streaming-poker-play&goto=newpost
Sun, 29 Mar 2020 18:15:38 GMTI’m thinking about streaming my poker play on Global.
Do you think the government will ever crack down on streams, I mean you actively commuting a crime right?. I’m not sure if it’s worth it, im not trying earn money or anything from a stream it would be just for fun.I’m thinking about streaming my poker play on Global.

Do you think the government will ever crack down on streams, I mean you actively commuting a crime right?. I’m not sure if it’s worth it, im not trying earn money or anything from a stream it would be just for fun.
]]>Poker Community DiscussionDrawingdeadhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?20244-Streaming-poker-playhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?20239-GGNetwork-(GGPoker-Natural8-PokerOK-etc)-bans-players-for-quot-bumhunting-quot&goto=newpost
Sat, 28 Mar 2020 05:37:01 GMTA banned player from the GGNetwork, who temporarily had his money also confiscated for unknown reasons, brought light to an interesting and somewhat disturbing policy of the GGNetwork.

In short, if you sit at a table only when you see 1 or more fish there, you're violating their terms.

After receiving this warning, this player claimed he cashed out his $150k bankroll from PokerOK, hadn't received it yet, and redeposited $120k to the flagship site GGPoker.

Before playing a single hand, he claims he got this message:

Then they confiscated both his 120k deposit and his 150k cashout. He was able to get the 120k deposit back quickly, but the 150k was still stuck. However, there were holes in his story, and I'm guessing he wasn't 100% honest about his situation. He also later claimed he got it resolved.

What is important is the fact that GGNetwork is indeed banning these supposed "bumhunters", though it's a soft ban (meaning you get your money, but can't continue playing on the network.)

You might ask what's wrong with banning these predatory players?

Well, there's several things wrong with it.

First off, it's ludicrous to require players not to game select. Game selection is a part of poker. As the old adage goes, if you're the 9th best poker player in the world, and you sit with the best 8, you're the fish in the game. Therefore, it's completely reasonable not to play if you open a table and everyone there is better than you.

Second, sitting only when certain fish sit (which is apparently what this guy was doing) is also fine, as it's again a form of game selection. Additionally, people could be accidentaly bumhunting in certain games, only being willing to play when the table is near full, which may only happen when a fish is present.

If they're really that worried about certain fish attracting sharks sitting just for them, they can go to an anonymous model like on Bovada or Run It Once.

The entire premise is flawed because a person being a "fish" is relative. A winning low-stakes player might be the fish at a high-stakes game. How do they define who a fish is? What if you're not bumhunting, but rather are choosing to play people whose styles you can best handle?

This seems more like a war against winning players. Basically if you are going to win on that site, you need to be willing to churn rake against other regulars when there are no fish around, or you're a gonner.

This is the network Negreanu represents now, by the way.
]]>Poker Community DiscussionDan Druffhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?20239-GGNetwork-(GGPoker-Natural8-PokerOK-etc)-bans-players-for-quot-bumhunting-quotClaim your free bonus on Ignition or Bovada due to March 19 outagehttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?20219-Claim-your-free-bonus-on-Ignition-or-Bovada-due-to-March-19-outage&goto=newpost
Tue, 24 Mar 2020 06:12:58 GMTFree points!

I got 40,000 points (which is worth around $40, but may be less depending upon your tier level).

If you have the bonus, it will be listed, and you will need to click "Redeem" to get it.

You needed to be active on the site the day before or the next day in order to qualify. If you were only active on one of the two, you will get the bonus on the one where you were active. If you were active on both, you will get it in both places.

You did not need to have been directly impacted by the outage in order to get the bonus.

You have until March 27 to claim it.
]]>Poker Community DiscussionDan Druffhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?20219-Claim-your-free-bonus-on-Ignition-or-Bovada-due-to-March-19-outageKhalwathttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?20192-Khalwat&goto=newpost
Wed, 18 Mar 2020 01:20:36 GMTNot gonna lie, I kinda miss him on Radio. “Bitcherusky” is ok, but we need a bit more. Now considering that the whole world seems to be on lockdown and craving something to do, I offer the following:
I will put up $300 for the next free roll plus a $100 bounty on Kalwat. The only requirement is that he stay awake and co-host the next Radio, just like old times.
By now, I’m sure you can all guess who this is.Not gonna lie, I kinda miss him on Radio. “Bitcherusky” is ok, but we need a bit more. Now considering that the whole world seems to be on lockdown and craving something to do, I offer the following:

I will put up $300 for the next free roll plus a $100 bounty on Kalwat. The only requirement is that he stay awake and co-host the next Radio, just like old times.

Sick turn and river, huh?
]]>Poker Community DiscussionDan Druffhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?20179-OH-MY!!!https://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?20139-Flashback-to-1985-WSOP-charges-quot-no-juice-quot-to-10-000-Main-Event-buyin-in-order-to-avoid-new-federal-requirement-to-do-Currency-Transaction-Report&goto=newpost
Sun, 08 Mar 2020 06:00:23 GMTFrom 1971 to 1984, the WSOP Main Event was $10,050 to enter. It was $10,000 to buyin (all going to the prize pool), and $50 for the entry fee (going to the house -- in this case, Binion's Horseshoe).

For that reason, Binion's decided that, effective that year the buyin would be $10,000 even, with $0 in entry fees taken.

Laughably, they revealed the reason for this to Poker Player newspaper. At the time, this was actually legal. In 1986, this became a federal crime known as "structuring" -- setting up cash transactions specifically to avoid having paperwork filed with the government.

The following year, the buyin was still exactly $10,000, but entry fees came out of that amount. It still exists that way today.

Even when March is over, they will be taking 5+2 out of every pot of $50 or more.

These jackpot drops are getting out of control. I hate any jackpot drop, because it's just a rake increase and overall takes from the bottom line of winning players, while also hurting everyone except a few very lucky people.

https://twitter.com/#!/x/status/1234249608517345284
]]>Poker Community DiscussionShizzmoneyhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?20115-ACR-fails-(again)https://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?20101-Attention-Ignition-players!-Don-t-let-your-quot-Ignition-Miles-quot-expire!&goto=newpost
Thu, 27 Feb 2020 09:01:59 GMTI happened to be on the Ignition Rewards page, and saw that $105 of my Ignition Miles are expiring on 3/1/20!

Crap!

I called and found out that, yes, Ignition Rewards expire after a year, even if you are regularly earning them.

To make sure you're not losing them, go to https://ignitioncasino.eu and then go to the menu on the top right and select Rewards.

You will see a yellow box telling you how many Ignition Miles you have. If under the "GET MY BONUS" button, it mentions expiring Miles,

Otherwise they expire and they're gone forever!

There are two ways to redeem more miles. You can click on the OFFERS tab, and you will see various free tournament tickets you can get. I'd suggest doing this because it doesn't require playthrough.

You can also click GET MY BONUS to get an amount requiring playthrough, but that's kinda fail because these funds must be rolled over 10x in the casino only , and certain games don't give you 100% credit for rollover: https://www.ignitioncasino.eu/bonus-...and-conditions Also, it will use regular funds in your account first when you try to roll it over, and then the bonus funds.
]]>Poker Community DiscussionDan Druffhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?20101-Attention-Ignition-players!-Don-t-let-your-quot-Ignition-Miles-quot-expire!Holdem player with quad 9s came in third, and everyone used both holecardshttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?20072-Holdem-player-with-quad-9s-came-in-third-and-everyone-used-both-holecards&goto=newpost
Wed, 19 Feb 2020 02:51:08 GMT
]]>Poker Community DiscussionDan Druffhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?20072-Holdem-player-with-quad-9s-came-in-third-and-everyone-used-both-holecardshttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?20069-Interesting-and-contentious-quot-live-broadcasted-negotations-quot-for-Aussie-Millions-Main-Event-final-table&goto=newpost
Tue, 18 Feb 2020 11:12:54 GMThttps://www.twitch.tv/runitup/clip/FrigidCoyLarkTheRingerhttps://www.twitch.tv/runitup/clip/F...yLarkTheRinger
]]>Poker Community DiscussionDan Druffhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?20069-Interesting-and-contentious-quot-live-broadcasted-negotations-quot-for-Aussie-Millions-Main-Event-final-tableTips on how to keep Bovada/Ignition from disconnecting or lagginghttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?20051-Tips-on-how-to-keep-Bovada-Ignition-from-disconnecting-or-lagging&goto=newpost
Fri, 14 Feb 2020 10:55:25 GMT search "performance" > adjust the appearance and performance of Windows > advanced > click "change" under "total paging file size for all drives:" > uncheck "automatically manage paging file size for all drives: > check "custom size" and then set both "Initial Size" and "Maximum size" to the figure listed under "Recommended" at the bottom. Then click Set and Ok and restart your comp.
I've played for a few days now after this fix and haven't had the disconnection issue.
---End Quote---
---Quote---
Ok ... made a HUGE breakthrough on identifying the lag source and a temp fix: The cause of the lag is almost entirely the crummy lobby structure ... it's running some 30-50% of your PCU trying to update all the tables that are running, # of players, avg. pot %s, etc.
Anyway, the key to getting rid of the lag is to get your 4 tables running, then switch lobby to the casino games tab (where there aren't nearly as many update inquiries by the lobby jamming your PCU.) Soooo relieved I found this out. Can actually play poker like a real human being now.
---End Quote---
Source: https://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/showpost.php?p=55830055&postcount=57706]]>Haven't tried these yet, but I will next time I play.

From 2+2:

Quote:

Maybe this has already been mentioned but there is a Win 10 fix for the issue of lack of connection to server/not being able to rebuy at tables. This happened to me repeatedly in the past where I would "lose connection to the server" and not be able to reload at any of my tables, destroying my sessions repeatedly. I spoke to support about it and they mentioned this:

Control Panel > search "performance" > adjust the appearance and performance of Windows > advanced > click "change" under "total paging file size for all drives:" > uncheck "automatically manage paging file size for all drives: > check "custom size" and then set both "Initial Size" and "Maximum size" to the figure listed under "Recommended" at the bottom. Then click Set and Ok and restart your comp.

I've played for a few days now after this fix and haven't had the disconnection issue.

Quote:

Ok ... made a HUGE breakthrough on identifying the lag source and a temp fix: The cause of the lag is almost entirely the crummy lobby structure ... it's running some 30-50% of your PCU trying to update all the tables that are running, # of players, avg. pot %s, etc.

Anyway, the key to getting rid of the lag is to get your 4 tables running, then switch lobby to the casino games tab (where there aren't nearly as many update inquiries by the lobby jamming your PCU.) Soooo relieved I found this out. Can actually play poker like a real human being now.

Source: https://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/s...ostcount=57706
]]>Poker Community DiscussionDan Druffhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?20051-Tips-on-how-to-keep-Bovada-Ignition-from-disconnecting-or-laggingPokerstars new lookhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19913-Pokerstars-new-look&goto=newpost
Tue, 31 Dec 2019 15:47:37 GMTFucking appalling, virtually unusable. That might be the final straw to give up. Why do businesses shit the bed like this?Fucking appalling, virtually unusable. That might be the final straw to give up. Why do businesses shit the bed like this?
]]>Poker Community DiscussionWiganerhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19913-Pokerstars-new-lookOklahoma Johnny Hale dies at age 92, but he had an unfinished beef with the WSOPhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19909-Oklahoma-Johnny-Hale-dies-at-age-92-but-he-had-an-unfinished-beef-with-the-WSOP&goto=newpost
Sat, 28 Dec 2019 01:43:44 GMTOklahoma Johnny Hale was a name you've probably heard of before. He's an old-school poker player dating back several decades, and was even awarded a special "best all around" bracelet in 1980 after making three final tables in the WSOP that year but finishing second, second, and third. He passed away a few days ago, at the age of 92.

Born in 1927, he was one of the older poker players, even 30-40 years ago. He's best known for his advocacy of seniors in poker, creating a Seniors Poker Hall of Fame and a Seniors World Championship of Poker.

The latter eventually led to an unfortunate misunderstanding which, in turn, led to bad blood between Hale and the WSOP, something which was never resolved.

You won't find this story anywhere else in the media. I tell this story not to speak ill of the dead, but to provide visibility into the situation which Johnny tried until his final days to make public, but was mostly ignored.

Recall that Johnny created the Seniors World Championship of Poker (WCOP). A marketing book was released in 2013, explaining the history of the Seniors WCOP, and you can find it here: http://www.icloudmobilemedia.com/t/56212

In the book, you can see that the Seniors WCOP was created in 1994, when Hale was 66. It first ran at the Oceanside Card Club near San Diego, but three years later that club closed. In 1998, it moved to Compton -- yes, THAT Compton -- at the new Crystal Park Casino there.

In 2001, he created a partnership with the WSOP to merge the two events, which became the WSOP Seniors World Championship. This was before Harrah's (now Caesars) bought the WSOP. When Harrah's purchased the WSOP in 2004, they agreed to keep the Seniors event, and to continue awarding a bracelet for it. Harrah's also agreed to find the lost Golden Eagle WCOP Trophy, which had apparently been lost when Harrah's bought Binion's Horseshoe (and the WSOP). When Harrah's couldn't find it, they created a replica, complete with all of the past winners' names of the WCOP.

For the moment, Hale and the WSOP had a great relationship. He even did the "shuffle up and deal" speech for the 2005 WSOP Seniors event at the Rio.

However, sometime after that, things went sour.

It is not clear to me what Hale's official role was after Harrah's bought the WSOP. To me, it seems that he had more of an honorary role at that point.

In 2010, Hale got upset that they had added "World Championship" onto the name of the highest buyin version of all types of events at the WSOP, starting in 2008. Hale believed this was copyright infringement, as one was called "World Chamiponship Seniors Event", and he had originally created the Seniors World Championship of Poker. To be fair, Hale would have a hard time claiming that the term "World Championship" was his intellectual property.

Still, World Series head Ty Stewart made some concessions in February 2010:

Hope all is well with you. Carla has been asking me to follow up with you. Know you are expecting some resolution to your complaints.

I hope the following is acceptable...

1-we in no way seek to use any intellectual property outside our own. We referred to our seniors championship (and every one of our highest buy in events per discipline) as world championships only because they were recognized as such by players and media. We had zero idea of your history with the binion family when we made this decision to add the world championship designation to these ten plus events annually.

However, we take your complaint seriously. Therefore, we've made the decision to drop the designation "world championship" from the seniors event (as well as ladies, casino employees and all the other highest buy in events) - we will now only refer to these events as "world series of poker (event) championship" - as we think that's more than good enough!

2-therefore, if you feel confident in your registration of the seniors world championship....and seek to stage it elsewhere....you will not receive any pushback from us.

In fact, as professional courtesy, I am more than happy to socialize the opportunity to run a ok johnny poker tournament to all our casinos. If you want
to put together a proposal - I will share it with marketers in atlantic city, tahoe, etc.

3-we do, however, recognize your importance as the "elder statesman of poker" and feel honored if you continue to come to the world series.

I am happy for you to participate with an official welcome to the players immediately before the world series of poker seniors championship event each year you choose to come to vegas. You will be introduced by the tournament director and given the microphone for some brief comments. We think this will be a great way to continue to highlight what a great ambassador you are for poker and seniors poker in particular.

I am also very happy to pick up your hotel room for the two nights of the tournament each year you can attend. I'm happy to make reservations for you personally.

And as a last part of the deal, I'm hoping we can make having steak and lobster dinner together (my treat) an annual tradition one of the nights around the series....I love hearing stories about the pioneers of the game. And I know you have a bunch.

I know its been several years now that you feel you haven't got your due. Definitely want that to change and feel proud to have oklahoma johnny front and center....maybe side by side with future bracelet winner oklahoma sarah

Best-

Ty Stewart
Vice President
World Series of Poker

This seemed to smooth things over for a little while. Hale worked with Caesars to create a new Super Seniors (65+ only) event in their poker room in 2011. At the time, it was not part of the WSOP. You can go to this page to see some information about it.

Things went south for good in 2015 when the WSOP brought the Super Seniors into its series.

It's not entirely clear to me what happened, but Hale wanted the Super Seniors to be an event raising money for charity, and Ty Stewart apparently refused. Hale claims that Stewart told him that the WSOP was committed to only having one charity (One Drop):

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oklahoma Johnny

I was made a member of Bennie WSOP poker Hall of fame when I merged my brand, and I have won the seniors world championship of poker on the poker table and Ty will not let it be recognized. and I did win in the 1980 WSOP a Gold Bracelet on the poker table (Best All Around Poker Player in the World) in the 1980 WSOP and Ty will not recognize that. So When Ty stole my two brands and said he only wanted one charity in his WSOP (yes he told me he owned it) "One drop of Water for Africa" etc.

However, you will have a hard time finding content there related to this, as he posted the same message over and over (not sure why) for weeks at a time, and his page is also cluttered with a lot of right-wing political stuff, which frankly isn't very interesting to read.

Hale and the WSOP never came to terms. In fact, Hale went to the police and FBI about this "intellectual property theft", who of course sent him away because this is a civil matter. It does not appear that Hale attempted to sue the WSOP at any point, perhaps lacking a lawyer who would take his case on contingency (I'm just guessing at that last part). Hale unfortunately took the FBI's refusal to help as an indication that they are "corrupt" -- something he was already starting to believe because Trump has been saying it. (I'm not going to get into the Trump/FBI situation here, nor do I want it discussed in this thread.)

Hale also claimed on his Facebook that he was arrested for criminal trespassing while reporting the "crime" against him to the FBI.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oklahoma Johnny

When I made an appointment with the local FBI OFFICE IN las Vegas I was told that appointments were not made just to come on in and report the facts to them, When my daughter took me to the Las Vegas FBI i tried to report the facts of the fraud and the international crime that was committed---I was arrested for criminal trespass.
I reported the in house crime incident to the FEDERAL FBI AND THAT THEY HAD TO TAKE CARE OF THE CRIME WITH THEIR INTERNAL AFAIRRS

My guess is that someone at the FBI told him that they couldn't take his report in that particular department, and he irrationally forced his way in and demanded they listen to him. Again, just a guess but obviously the FBI doesn't arrest you for simply coming down and attempting to report something.

Clearly Johnny was somewhat senile in his final years. You can see it in his Facebook posts -- which seem to be a mixture of lucidity and old person confusion. This isn't a knock against him. Many people, including my own late grandmother and great grandmother, have encountered declining mental capacities in their 80s and beyond.

But what really happened here? Did the WSOP really cheat Johnny? Did they really steal his World Championship brand in 2008? Did they really "hoodwink" him, as he accused many times on his Facebook page, and illegally appropriate the Seniors and Super Seniors events?

I can't be 100% sure, but my guess is that they didn't. I feel that this was a big misunderstanding. It was likely a coincidence that the "World Championship" designation in 2008 happened to match Johnny's seniors tournament name. Then, when they rolled in the Super Seniors in 2015, Johnny seems to have believed that he had a right to force them to make it a charity event. He didn't.

At the same time, I can understand Hale's most recent beef in 2015. Presumably he created the original Super Seniors as a small event for Caesars in 2011, separate from the WSOP, and was paid for his contributions. However, it was likely the official property of Caesars at that point, and he was just a consultant. When they rolled it into the WSOP, he was mad that they removed the charity angle, as that portion was important to him. Caesars probably tried to explain that they couldn't keep the charity part anymore because of One Drop, but stubborn Hale wouldn't hear it. He still saw it as his, since it was his creation. And it infuriated him to see them collect "$100 per chair" for every player seated in these two popular events. He posted about this many times, noting that they collected $870,000 in rake in those two events combined in 2019.

It is sad that they could never come to terms. I can see both sides of this, and I can see how a man like Hale could come out of it feeling screwed, when in reality he just didn't completely understand the concepts of corporate intellectual property.

Anyway, RIP to this interesting and historical character from poker, and I hope the WSOP can at least pay tribute to him in 2020, despite the bad blood.
]]>Poker Community DiscussionDan Druffhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19909-Oklahoma-Johnny-Hale-dies-at-age-92-but-he-had-an-unfinished-beef-with-the-WSOPHigh stakes cash pro Kym Lim folds quads, Twitter goes crazyhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19903-High-stakes-cash-pro-Kym-Lim-folds-quads-Twitter-goes-crazy&goto=newpost
Thu, 26 Dec 2019 09:43:27 GMT

Yes, I know this is posted in backwards order (aside from the last one), but it actually makes most sense reading it this way, so there ya go.

What do I think?

Yes, I believe the hand happened as she stated. Preflop I understand the flat because people were so deep. On the flop, I understand the check-around, though it's keeping the pot smaller, which you don't want at this point. Yes, may would suspect she has AQ here (due to the flat pre), but there's also two diamond out there, and a bet on the flop might actually trick people into thinking she didn't flop a monster.

As played, I don't understand the turn check around. At this point you have to fire. Maybe you'll get lucky and run into AA, 88, Q8, or A8, or a flush, and they won't want to lay it down (especially by the fish, who could have any of these except the AA).

River I agree with her play. The regular isn't making it $43k more unless he has a super-sick read or he has it. I have to say it's most likely he has it (Jd9d or JdKd), and knows AA/QQ/AQ might have a hard time laying the hand down. This is also why betting the earlier streets is helpful, as it might give you more of a clue as to what they really have (or force them off and never let them get there on the river).

But I'm not a high stakes cash NL player, so what do I know?

LOL at the low limit trolls on Twitter saying that she's playing with daddy's money.

A young Asian player who calls himself "Charles Jiang" played on Live at the Bike recently. He supposedly drove there all the way from Dallas, and had a weird playstyle which ended up being successful. He won $30k in the game.

Prior to the game, he contacted known livestream player Taylor Carroll for advice about playing on stream, and they had a civil, seemingly normal conversation. Taylor Carroll was seen during the Postle videos playing as "Hart Banson", and was one of Postle's victims. (The name was a play on Bart Hanson's name, who had also played on that stream. Bart has nothing to do with this situation.)

Anyway, back to Jiang. I am not even sure that's his real name. He alternately goes by "Chao Jiang", which is incredibly similar to famous veteran poker pro Chau Giang. I also cannot find any Hendon Mob results for any Charles Jiang, so it's probably an alias of some kind. But whatever. Not really important here.

After Jiang won the $30k, some Reddit posters joked that he was the "new Postle" because of some of his unusual plays. There was no actual concern that Jiang was cheating. However, Jiang freaked out when he saw this, and went on a quest to identify those who posted these joking accusations.

Without anyone else to turn to, he started messaging Taylor again. At first he expressed his concern rationally, but then flipped out and started accusing Taylor of using multiple accounts on Reddit, and that he was actually the one guilty of making the posts. Then Jiang rattled off a lot of (inaccurate) technical mumbo jumbo in order to scare Taylor that he had proof. Presumably this was to either trick Taylor into admitting it was him, or to rattle Taylor into revealing the identity of the actual poster.

At one point during the exchange, Taylor ends the conversation and tells Jiang to contact his lawyer Mac Verstandig (who presumably is already representing him in the Postle matter). However, Taylor keeps responding to him anyway.

Of greatest note, Jiang demanded $1000 at one point as payment for the defamatory posts, and threatened to sue Taylor and also ruin Taylor's wife's career if he didn't comply. Taylor responded by simply coming back at him more aggressively. Also, Jiang seemed to alternate between being apologetic and getting increasingly threatening/psycho, though he never made any physical threats -- only legal ones.

]]>Poker Community DiscussionDan Druffhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19878-Taylor-Carroll-receiving-weird-legal-threats-amp-psycho-texts-from-fellow-Live-at-the-Bike-player-quot-Charles-Jiang-quot2020 WSOPhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19846-2020-WSOP&goto=newpost
Fri, 06 Dec 2019 00:08:42 GMTNow that the Rio sale is done where is the new location?Now that the Rio sale is done where is the new location?
]]>Poker Community DiscussionVegasvichttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19846-2020-WSOPKlay Thompson was even a fish at the Golden State Warriors team poker gamehttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19845-Klay-Thompson-was-even-a-fish-at-the-Golden-State-Warriors-team-poker-game&goto=newpost
Thu, 05 Dec 2019 11:29:24 GMThttps://www.mercurynews.com/2019/12/03/klays-money-management-issues-on-rookie-deal-warriors-poker-games-hoarding-clothes/
---Quote---
What also would kill me for awhile was the team poker game.
We had some sharks on the team. Every road trip on the plane. It’s a great way to build camaraderie.
But it’s tough to do on your rookie deal, especially when you’re playing guys who have been in the league for eight, nine years. But that competitive drive comes in, especially with poker — it’s such an emotional game.
If I got to buy in more than once … when I have to tell my financial advisor what happened, it’s not good. It’s like getting brought into the principal’s office.
---End Quote---
How sweet would it be to be backed by someone and allowed to play in the Golden State Warriors team poker game? Talk about free money...https://www.mercurynews.com/2019/12/...rding-clothes/

Quote:

What also would kill me for awhile was the team poker game.

We had some sharks on the team. Every road trip on the plane. It’s a great way to build camaraderie.

But it’s tough to do on your rookie deal, especially when you’re playing guys who have been in the league for eight, nine years. But that competitive drive comes in, especially with poker — it’s such an emotional game.

If I got to buy in more than once … when I have to tell my financial advisor what happened, it’s not good. It’s like getting brought into the principal’s office.

How sweet would it be to be backed by someone and allowed to play in the Golden State Warriors team poker game? Talk about free money...
]]>Poker Community DiscussionDan Druffhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19845-Klay-Thompson-was-even-a-fish-at-the-Golden-State-Warriors-team-poker-gameI was one of two people selected to arbitrate an argument between Allen Kessler and Jason Bralhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19820-I-was-one-of-two-people-selected-to-arbitrate-an-argument-between-Allen-Kessler-and-Jason-Bral&goto=newpost
Wed, 27 Nov 2019 11:42:27 GMT

Laughably, I was announced by Kessler as an arbitrator without any consultation with me as to whether or not I would do it.

I ended up agreeing, as did the other selected arbitrator, attorney Mac Verstandig (who frequently represents poker players in legal matters, and is currently the attorney bringing the civil case against Stones Casino in the Postle matter).

The argument is actually over a simple matter -- the definition of the word overlay.

Allen Kessler thinks that a poker room can only claim overlay if all money collected (buyins AND fees combined) is less than the guarantee.

Jason Bral thinks that they can claim overlay as long as the cumulative buyins are less than the guarantee, even if adding the entry fees would put it over the guarantee amount.

Mac and I have decided to write an official-looking legal document as if this were a real arbitration case. He's the one formatting it because I'm not an attorney, but we are both writing the content together.

It will probably be released today.

While the bet involves real money, neither of us are being paid for our arbitration of the matter.
]]>Poker Community DiscussionDan Druffhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19820-I-was-one-of-two-people-selected-to-arbitrate-an-argument-between-Allen-Kessler-and-Jason-BralThe Poker Place in Canada Takes Automatic 5% Dealer Tip from BBJhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19807-The-Poker-Place-in-Canada-Takes-Automatic-5-Dealer-Tip-from-BBJ&goto=newpost
Sat, 23 Nov 2019 15:50:29 GMTI've never seen this before -- a card room automatically taking 5% from the bad beat jackpot to play the dealers. The Dealer's share is more that the Table share if there are 8 or more players. LOL

Some believe GGPoker will soon separate itself and become a clear #3, and maybe eventually pass IDN as #2.

That also might explain why they're willing to spend the money on Daniel, despite his American locale and recent/semi-recent social media controversies.
]]>Poker Community DiscussionDan Druffhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19796-Daniel-Negreanu-signs-with-GG-PokerTwo people shot at Florida Poker Roomhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19795-Two-people-shot-at-Florida-Poker-Room&goto=newpost
Wed, 20 Nov 2019 16:27:04 GMTThe injuries are not life threatening, but this does hit close to home as I have played here in the past couple months and work about a five minute drive away.

Not many details provided...I don't know if this was the result of an argument.

Someone posted about it on Twitter saying she was there...she said the shooting happened by the entrance to the poker room, but there was no word of any motive. Sounds like the shooter got away.

I've always wondered why this sort of thing doesn't happen more often around poker rooms given the type of people that are in there and the general lack of security.

scrolled fast through the chat on this vid and have no fucking clue whats going on...
]]>Poker Community DiscussionGambleBotsChafedPenishttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19744-Cheating-In-HS-SNGs-Using-Dream-MachinePokerstars Pennsylvania is livehttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19735-Pokerstars-Pennsylvania-is-live&goto=newpost
Tue, 05 Nov 2019 12:56:23 GMTHere's a detailed article about it from Jess Welman, longtime industry person: https://www.playpennsylvania.com/pok...-poker-launch/

I predict it will be somewhat of a failsite unless it manages to merge with other states. Pennsylvania is the biggest population state to have online poker so far, but only about 35% bigger than NJ, where online poker has been a fail for the most part.
]]>Poker Community DiscussionDan Druffhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19735-Pokerstars-Pennsylvania-is-liveDaniel Negreanu was just named WSOP Player of the Year, but many feel the award needs major reformhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19734-Daniel-Negreanu-was-just-named-WSOP-Player-of-the-Year-but-many-feel-the-award-needs-major-reform&goto=newpost
Tue, 05 Nov 2019 09:31:25 GMTNegreanu is once again Player of the Year, and thanks to a good WSOP in Las Vegas, he finished with about a million bucks profit, despite losing overall elsewhere around the world at WSOP events.

However, the current system is a joke. Among the problems:

1) Too much credit for min-cashing
2) Winning requires the ability to travel the world and constantly play far-flung events
3) You can win the award even if you have a losing year at the WSOP!

Here are my ideas to fix it:

1) Give the most points for either final tabling a small-field event or running very deep in a big field event.

2) Min cashes should give relatively few points.

3) After you get past 100 points, they should deduct points for every bricked buyin (including rebuys).

4) Once you've reached 100 points, for display purposes, you will always be shown having 100 points minimum, but in reality, you will need to keep earning points back to get past 100 if you would have otherwise fallen below 100 due to losing events. (This will be done not to embarrass recreational players, as well as allowing people to have SOME points if they cashed a few events, yet aren't competing for POY.)

5) Regardless of number of points earned, you are disqualified if you have lost money overall in WSOP events during the current POY season.
]]>Poker Community DiscussionDan Druffhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19734-Daniel-Negreanu-was-just-named-WSOP-Player-of-the-Year-but-many-feel-the-award-needs-major-reformhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19722-Request-for-public-comment-Repeal-Washington-State-s-Dumb-Poker-Law&goto=newpost
Fri, 01 Nov 2019 01:24:54 GMTHi fellow poker players!

The Washington State Gambling Commission is holding a public comment on repealing the states current limit of $300 maximum bet for poker.

In WA there can also only be three raises per round, another dumb rule.

Card room licensees must not exceed these wagering limits:
(1) Poker -
(a) There must be no more than five betting rounds in any one game; and
(b) There must be no more than four wagers in any betting round, for example, the initial wager plus three raises; and
(c) The maximum amount of a single wager must not exceed forty dollars; however, Class F and house-banked card game licensees may offer a single wager not to exceed three hundred dollars;https://app.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=230-15-135
]]>Poker Community Discussionjokerswildhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19722-Request-for-public-comment-Repeal-Washington-State-s-Dumb-Poker-LawHeads up for 50 or 100$https://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19703-Heads-up-for-50-or-100&goto=newpost
Fri, 25 Oct 2019 22:07:59 GMTWe escrow with Druff (I’ll PayPal) and play 25$ heads up matches (we can play 2-4 matche sir different people it don’t matter to me), we will use the poker fraud alert poker room? Tonight 8 pm central, I got nothing going on but cod and a few brews let’s make it happen.

I am also irritated by the rise of reentry and (even worse) unlimited reentry events, even at the main WSOP in Vegas.

First off, this is very rec-unfriendly, as it greatly decreases the chances that recreational players make it deep, since most of the rebuys are done by pros with deep rolls, which in turn makes the percentage of pros buying in much higher.

Second, this makes the events tougher in general, as you no longer have a lot of good/great players falling out of the field early just because they ran bad or made an early mistake. Now they get to keep rebuying until they finally catch fire, and then they can start crushing everyone.

Third, this perverts the entire concept of tournaments, which have always separated themselves from cash games by having stack preservation and penalty for early risk elements. Reentry events take away these important elements from tournaments, and make them too much like cash games, allowing players busting early (or even in the mid-stages) to reach back into their pocket and return to the event.

I will say that it's actually easier to min-cash these reentry events because of the artificially pumped up field size (every time someone busts and rebuys, that adds an entry, thus making the money come sooner), but it makes it much harder to run deep, as the average skill level late in the event will be much higher.

In general, reentry events suck. I don't mind single reentry events (such as what they do for the $1500 PLO8 at the Vegas WSOP), but I really don't like the concept of multiple or unlimited reentries, especially as a player who desires to run very deep and not just collect min cashes.

Venues love these reentry events because they collect far more rake. Also, this allows known pros to get deep more often, which attracts further interest to observers of the event. Also, in addition to liking the ability to rebuy and take another shot after busting, pros like these because when traveling for poker, they're not just one-and-done after flying a long way to play an event.

Still, these need to get under control, because it's ruining the entire concept of tournament poker, and is somewhat allowing deep pocketed pros to buy titles and Player of the Year points.

As you'll probably notice from my WSOP schedules, I play very few reentry events. When I play NL events, I try to pick the $1500 type events with a single buyin.
]]>Poker Community DiscussionDan Druffhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19700-Norman-Chad-longtime-WSOP-commentator-bashes-WSOP-s-re-entry-events-on-TwitterTried playing 40-80 Limit Holdem twice at the Bike in recent weeks... here was my experiencehttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19662-Tried-playing-40-80-Limit-Holdem-twice-at-the-Bike-in-recent-weeks-here-was-my-experience&goto=newpost
Wed, 16 Oct 2019 07:31:23 GMTAs I've mentioned before, in 2019 The Bike has aggressively been attempting to muscle in on Commerce's virtual monopoly on limit holdem games of 40-80 and above.

Before you laugh and state that limit holdem is a dying game, be aware that there's still a fairly strong limit holdem scene in southern California, and these games are nice money makers for the card room. Why? Because hands move a lot quicker due to the absence of long decisions, so far more hands are seen per hour compared to their no limit and pot limit counterparts.

On a typical night, Commerce has three 40-80 games and two 60-120, and often both manage to see one table make it all the way through the night without the game completely breaking.

Commerce charges a far higher rake for these games compared to Vegas (they have a rake+jackpot for 40-80, and a time charge plus jackpot drop for 60-120 -- and that time charge is nearly double what Bellagio charges), and as you can imagine, these games are quite profitable for them. They also have 20-40 limit holdem in the same room.

The Bike had a longstanding 20-40 game, but gave up on their 40-80 and above long ago. Until 2019. At that point, they set out to get some of those games, and hired "hosts" to get people over there, including former 2000s poker pro Jean Gluck. They were even handing out perks such as free hotel rooms in their otherwise expensive, fairly new hotel on property.

Commerce went into a panic and immediately cut their 60-120 time charge in half as a "one month promotion", which lasted for about 6 more months when this promotion failed to kill the Bike's growing action.

The two card rooms are fairly close to each other -- about a 10-minute drive between the two (even less late at night).

Anyway, I finally made it down to The Bike a few weeks ago. Their 40-80 game has a half-kill, which annoys me. (A half-kill means that it goes to 60-120 when someone wins 2 consecutive pots, and that winner has to post a blind $60 no matter what position he's in.)

Late at night, people started agreeing to get rid of the half-kill and just converting it to straight 60-120. However, The Bike didn't love this because, like Commerce, the 60-120 game is a time charge while the 40-80 is a rake, and a time charge is FAR cheaper for the player when it's shorthanded. But The Bike reluctantly did it for awhile.

During my first visit, the game was good, with few truly good players, and a lot of fish and semi-donks. It was definitely better than the typical 40-80 at Commerce, which is hit-and-miss whether it's good or not.

However, the game went from two tables to broken completely within 2 hours, so I had to go back to Commerce anyway to finish off my session.

My second visit was last night.

This time the game didn't break, but again it quickly fell apart from 2 tables to one short table, and then quickly down to just 3 players -- me and two regulars, both of whom were fairly good.

I played with them anyway, hoping maybe some fish would show up and sit, but aside from one guy who short-bought and busted, we didn't get anyone. I finally quit at 5:30am, which I warned them in advance would be my quitting time, which is the basic etiquette at a card room when you're playing heads up or 3-handed for awhile with the same person/people.

Annoyingly, The Bike refused to convert the game to 60-120 when the three of us asked for it, because they didn't want to give up the extra rake. The best they agreed to do was lower the rake per hand to $1 plus another $1 for the jackpot, which still ate up a lot since 3-handed goes so quickly (and they drop the jackpot even if it folds around).

This is the first time I've ever seen a card room refuse to spread a limit which they are authorized to spread and have spread before, even if everyone at the table agrees.

One of the regulars said that they have become less cooperative about things like this because Commerce finally raised their 60-120 time charge back to normal, so The Bike now feels they don't need to play ball with anyone anymore.

In any case, while I give them credit for trying, they aren't going to stay a viable Commerce alternative if they continue with these Commerce-like attitudes. I may actually call in there and tell them that. They need to be the anti-Commerce to succeed in stealing the action, not emulate their stubbornness.

I'll probably still go back there, but I need to get an earlier start, as their games tend to break earlier, and the fish at The Bike are the ones who usually leave by 1am (or are uncomfortable playing short).
]]>Poker Community DiscussionDan Druffhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19662-Tried-playing-40-80-Limit-Holdem-twice-at-the-Bike-in-recent-weeks-here-was-my-experiencehttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19637-Jonathan-Little-s-7-question-quiz-What-would-you-do-in-these-hands-against-Mike-Postle-(or-any-superuser)&goto=newpost
Tue, 08 Oct 2019 07:59:17 GMThttps://pokercoaching.com/poker-quiz...t-mike-postle/

I got 5/7 on this quiz, though I don't really agree with his reasoning in the two I got wrong. Spoilers below.

#2 I said you should lead 9bb, "correct" is 45bb. I feel 9bb is more because he is laying down everything but 2 pair or a flush draw here if you lead 45bb, as it wouldn't be suspicious to do so, but he's probably calling 9bb for "show", allowing you to extract value. You aren't afraid of all that much here beating you on the river, aside from the flush. I would actually go for leading more than 9bb but less than 45bb, but that wasn't a choice.

#6 I said you should bet 20bb, "correct" is 10bb. This is for the reverse reason. Here your AA overpair hand is vulnerable to a lot of things on the turn and river, but not likely behind at the moment. So you should charge Postle a lot right here, rather than letting him spike 2 pair or some weird straight for cheap.

How did you do on the quiz?
]]>Poker Community DiscussionDan Druffhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19637-Jonathan-Little-s-7-question-quiz-What-would-you-do-in-these-hands-against-Mike-Postle-(or-any-superuser)https://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19614-Paddy-Power-amp-Stars-combine&goto=newpost
Wed, 02 Oct 2019 17:30:11 GMTSource: https://www.ft.com/content/3d43e34c-e4de-11e9-9743-db5a370481bc
Druff, feel free to edit as I don’t know much about this.
It appears that the company Flutter, a parent company of Paddy Power is buying Pokerstars?
Flutter also owns Fanduel.
This seems to have more to do with sports betting than it does with poker.
Could this be the decline of pokerstars?Source: https://www.ft.com/content/3d43e34c-...3-db5a370481bc

Druff, feel free to edit as I don’t know much about this.

It appears that the company Flutter, a parent company of Paddy Power is buying Pokerstars?

Flutter also owns Fanduel.

This seems to have more to do with sports betting than it does with poker.

Could this be the decline of pokerstars?
]]>Poker Community DiscussionAhoosierAhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19614-Paddy-Power-amp-Stars-combinehttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19602-This-doesn-t-look-sketchy-at-all&goto=newpost
Fri, 27 Sep 2019 04:34:53 GMT..

Attached Images

]]>Poker Community DiscussionMatt The Rathttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19602-This-doesn-t-look-sketchy-at-allhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19591-Answers-to-all-of-your-questions-regarding-the-Rio-sale-to-quot-Imperial-Companies-quot&goto=newpost
Tue, 24 Sep 2019 09:46:32 GMTNOTE: This is an opinion/analysis piece. The "facts" listed below are mostly ones I have deduced from my knowledge of the sale, the gaming industry, and other factors. However, nothing below should be considered an official statement from Caesars, Imperial Companies, or Rio Las Vegas. I am an outsider simply providing answers to what I believe are questions and misconceptions by the general public.

A: It will through at least early 2022, and it may continue to be after that, depending upon what the new owners and Caesars want to do at that point.

Q: What will the typical customer at the Rio notice is different in 2020?

A: Probably nothing. Caesars will continue to operate the property until at least early 2022, and all employees there during that time will continue to be Caesars employees.

Q: Where will the WSOP be held in 2020?

A: It will be held at the Rio, as it has since 2005. That is 100% certain, and has been verified by an internal company memo leaked on September 23.

Q: Where will the WSOP be held in 2021?

A: That is unknown at this time. The Rio will be managed by Caesars throughout all of 2021, but it is possible that the WSOP will be moved to the Caesars Convention Center (currently under construction) that year.

Q: What will decide whether or not the WSOP moves to the Caesars Convention Center in 2021?

A: Caesars needs to examine the interest level in their new Convention Center, and what prices the convention space is fetching. The WSOP has operated just fine at the Rio for 15 years, and people are used to it. Caesars may not want to waste their new, prime convention space on the WSOP, which requires a time commitment of 2 months between setup and takedown, as well as a very large space commitment. At the same time, the Rio itself may not have much of a future. The new owners might decide to end Caesars' lease in early 2022, meaning the WSOP would need to find a new home at that point anyway. It is unlikely that Caesars would want the WSOP at a property they don't manage, so if their lease ends, so does the WSOP's time at the Rio.

Q: So what is the most likely situation for where the WSOP ends up in 2021 and beyond?

A: There's basically three possible scenarios here. here. Scenario #1 has it where their new convention space isn't selling well and their lease is ending in early 2022, so they will just move the whole thing in 2021. Scenario #2 has it where the new convention center is selling space well enough to where they won't move the WSOP until 2022, when their lease at the Rio is up. Scenario #3 has it where it remains at the Rio in 2022 and beyond, if the convention center is selling space well, and a new lease can be hammered out. The most likely scenario is #2. It does not appear that the Rio is very profitable for Caesars outside of the 7 weeks of the WSOP, and it's probably not going to be worth the $52 million to continue the lease in 2022.

Q: Why did Caesars build a mandatory lease-back provision into the sale, and why does it only last for 2 years?

A: The existing lease agreement is likely in place in order to give Caesars time to find a proper home for both the WSOP and other Rio-located conventions. The new convention center is not even close to ready yet, so they definitely needed the Rio for the WSOP in 2020. They also needed to honor the convention space they sold for 2020. The second year, 2021, simply gives them more breathing room. It is important to note that the third year's lease is at the option of the buyer (presumably with Caesars also agreeing), for an additional $7 million. Given that Caesars didn't demand this to be their option, it seems they are content to be completely done with the Rio by the end of 2021, if the new owner so desires.

Q: What will Imperial Companies, the new owner, do with the property once the lease is up?

A: That is unknown at this time. They are a real estate firm, and not a casino operator. There will be many possible options: Running their own casino, converting it to condos/apartments, converting it to business space, etc.

Q: The rumor has been floating around for about 18 months that the Rio will be destroyed and become a Major League Baseball stadium. Is that a possibility?

A: This is highly unlikely. Most notably, Major League Baseball has not indicated any interest in moving a team to Las Vegas. Additionally, Las Vegas would not be a good market for Major League Baseball, given its relatively low metro area population and complete lack of surrounding cities. The NHL moved to Vegas because they have to fill a smaller arena. The NFL is moving to Vegas because they only need to sell 8 home games per year. There is no way that the Vegas-area population could support filling a large stadium for 81 home games per year. It's simply not going to happen.

Q: Is it possible that the Rio will finally be renovated during the next two years. now that the owner is different?

A: Possible, but not likely. First, Imperial would have to decide that they are going to keep the Rio as a casino-hotel, and that they're going to renovate the existing property as their long-term plan. Second, it is unlikely that Caesars would go along with such renovations occurring during their lease, as it would cause immediate inconvenience to their guests, while not giving the company long-term gain. Third, it isn't likely that Imperial would want Caesars drawing immediate gain from their renovations. The Rio will most likely stay the same run-down mess that it's been for quite some time, until the lease is up two years from now. It is possible that, if the lease continues past 2 years, renovations will take place at that point.

Q: Can banned players come back to the Rio, now that it has different owners?

A: Nope. Not as long as Caesars is still managing it.
]]>Poker Community DiscussionDan Druffhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19591-Answers-to-all-of-your-questions-regarding-the-Rio-sale-to-quot-Imperial-Companies-quothttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19587-Al-Alvarez-dies-at-90-Wrote-poker-book-quot-The-Biggest-Game-in-Town-quot&goto=newpost
Tue, 24 Sep 2019 00:20:09 GMTHighly recommended read.

It was considered the best book ever written on poker by players and critics from the 80s and 90s, "The Biggest Game in Town" delves into the seedy, obsessive world of high-stakes Vegas poker back in the day. Set over the course of the main event, The Biggest Game in Town is both the first ever written chronicle of the World Series of Poker and a portrait of the hustlers, madmen, and geniuses who were around at the time.

https://www.theguardian.com/books/20...h1fiRTjvR-KYC4
]]>Poker Community DiscussionShizzmoneyhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19587-Al-Alvarez-dies-at-90-Wrote-poker-book-quot-The-Biggest-Game-in-Town-quotMicroGaming Network shutting down in 2020https://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19574-MicroGaming-Network-shutting-down-in-2020&goto=newpost
Sat, 21 Sep 2019 09:51:36 GMTJust saw this article.. had it been sooner I would've sent it to Druff to add to the end of the show..

In a surprising statement to the online poker community, the Microgaming Poker Network, according to their managing director, will be shutting down. The closure of the longtime online poker venture will occur at some point in 2020, probably in the mid- to late stages of the year. Article goes on to list the sites affected and hyperbole about how poker just isn't profitable apparently and that gaming providers maybe dumping it for bigger cash cows of online casinos..

https://www.pokernewsdaily.com/micro...Y5LuEwRi7jgVNE
]]>Poker Community Discussionftpjesushttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19574-MicroGaming-Network-shutting-down-in-2020Mike Matusow goes off on Doug Polk then deletes tweethttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19567-Mike-Matusow-goes-off-on-Doug-Polk-then-deletes-tweet&goto=newpost
Fri, 20 Sep 2019 01:49:11 GMTDoug Polk made a video the other day that had a small part in it talking about a hand in which at live at the bike . Helmuth had AA and was up against Nick who had AK . Pre flop from the big blind Helmuth made a large raise and Matusow folded Q-9 of spades . During the hand Matusow said out loud to Phil that he folded Q-9 of spades . I think it was on the river when Phil was facing a bluff shove . Spades got there on the turn . Phil the nit folded .
Anyways
Here is the original tweet .
Attachment 45360 (https://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=45360)
Also here is Matusow years ago berating Sheiky for doing basically the same thing .
https://youtu.be/GyyNMoTv0p0Doug Polk made a video the other day that had a small part in it talking about a hand in which at live at the bike . Helmuth had AA and was up against Nick who had AK . Pre flop from the big blind Helmuth made a large raise and Matusow folded Q-9 of spades . During the hand Matusow said out loud to Phil that he folded Q-9 of spades . I think it was on the river when Phil was facing a bluff shove . Spades got there on the turn . Phil the nit folded .

Anyways

Here is the original tweet .

Also here is Matusow years ago berating Sheiky for doing basically the same thing .

Attached Images

]]>Poker Community DiscussionGookieheimowitzhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19567-Mike-Matusow-goes-off-on-Doug-Polk-then-deletes-tweetVlogger Ryan DePaulo gets lifetime ban from Borgata after filming without permissonhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19549-Vlogger-Ryan-DePaulo-gets-lifetime-ban-from-Borgata-after-filming-without-permisson&goto=newpost
Mon, 16 Sep 2019 11:33:50 GMTHere's the 2+2 thread about it, which is kind of a mess: https://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/2...lming-1752259/

The cliffs on the situation, from what I can gather:

- Ryan DePaulo, a vlogger with an obnoxious, in-your-face style, was banned for life from Borgata after being caught filming his vlog there.

- Apparently he can attempt to appeal his ban in one year.

- He has a history of doing more than just vlogging. Some report that he has shoved his camera in people's faces who don't want to be filmed by him, including Doug Polk.

- In one of DePaulo's previous Borgata videos, he admits that he's attempting to avoid security catching him filming, so it's clear that he knew he was breaking the rules.

- DePaulo has apparently been warned about his behavior before at Borgata, regarding berating other players.

- DePaulo claims he was indeed warned before about filming, but that they implied the warnings weren't serious when they gave them to him (lol)

I realize that he's somewhat playing a character and trying to get views by being outrageous, but the guy sounds like a jerk, and not someone I'd want in a card room where I was playing.

https://twitter.com/#!/x/status/1172372689631109121
]]>Poker Community DiscussionDan Druffhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19549-Vlogger-Ryan-DePaulo-gets-lifetime-ban-from-Borgata-after-filming-without-permissonBill Rini out as head of WSOP.comhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19547-Bill-Rini-out-as-head-of-WSOP-com&goto=newpost
Mon, 16 Sep 2019 03:18:41 GMTJohn Mehaffey got word that Bill Rini is no longer "Head of Poker" at WSOP.com, and indeed his Linkedin confirms it:

Rini was mostly despised by WSOP.com players, for his passive-aggressive, customer-unfriendly attitude, and his tendency to avoid customers and hide from problems.

He seems like a smart guy, but just wasn't the right fit for the job. He was horrible at customer service, horrible at dealing with the public, horrible at managing crises and issues, and extremely out of touch with the wants and needs of online poker players, both grinders and recs alike.

I don't know a single poker player who believes Rini was doing a good job.

Here's some various PFA threads highlighting various failures on Rini's part over the years:

Bill Rini also had thin skin, and apparently got easily insulted when people criticized the site or his decisions.

Laughably, Rini eventually protected his Twitter account, so non-followers couldn't see it. So the manager of WSOP.com wasn't accessible at all on Twitter. Terrible.

A successor has not yet been named, and in fact Caesars has not even announced Rini's departure yet.

It's also not clear if Rini was fired, or if he quit. He is listed on Linkedin as the owner of "Libdek Holdings", a real estate company, but that dates back to early 2017, so it's probably something he was doing on the side. Libdek Holdings' website describes the company as follows:

Quote:

Libdek Holdings is real estate investment company that focuses primarily in distressed properties and debt.

We purchase homes in need of repair, rehabilitate them, and sell them, much like what you might see on the popular fix-and-flip television shows.

Libdek also purchases defaulted mortgages (also known as Non-Performing Notes or NPNs). Our goal is to work with borrowers to keep them in their homes and get them back on track. Our size allows us to develop creative solutions for borrowers that might not be possible working with banks.

Our portfolio consists of our own holdings as well as interests in joint-ventures that we engage in with other real estate investors.

It is possible that Rini will devote himself to real estate full time, or perhaps he's just retiring from full time work. It's also very possible he was fired, given the numerous customer complaints and the overall poor performance of WSOP.com.

In addition to his well-documented customer service and management missteps, the site also wasn't run well. They never attempted to engage in innovative promotions to build traffic on the site, even when it was clear that it was struggling from the start. Instead, they simply stayed the course with boring "deposit bonus" type promos. Their VIP program was pretty much a ripoff of Pokerstars' original creation circa 2004, which didn't work well for a site where people from out of the area go months at a time without playing (because they can only play within Nevada / New Jersey / Delaware).

His departure is hopefully excellent news for the future of legalized online poker, though his replacement will need to be someone who will do a substantially better job.
]]>Poker Community DiscussionDan Druffhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19547-Bill-Rini-out-as-head-of-WSOP-comMorgan Stanley downgrades online poker companies and future of business due to AI concernshttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19535-Morgan-Stanley-downgrades-online-poker-companies-and-future-of-business-due-to-AI-concerns&goto=newpost
Fri, 13 Sep 2019 21:14:31 GMTI dunno if this is more of a moratorum on the comapnies in question, or the biz model overall:

Quote:

Analyst Ed Young and team note that computer scientists from Carnegie Mellon University developed an AI system that is "stronger than human professionals" in the most popular version of poker. They note the code has not been released in part because it would have a "serious impact" on the integrity of online poker as it stands. The MS analysts then give all online poker players something to think about. "The AI blueprint strategy was developed for a cloud-computing cost of just $144 in 8 days, runs on normal computers, plays twice as fast as professional players and could be adapted for any poker variant," they warn.

The conclusion is that a reduced overall confidence in online poker could pose a risk to earnings streams in the future.

This followed a public Twitter spat with Allen Kessler, which featured Kessler being angry that Hammer had called him an "idiot" when it got heated. In Hammer's defense, Kessler was in the wrong regarding accusations of funding Commerce overlays with staff auto-tips, and wouldn't back down.

Hammer did not reveal where he would be working next, leading me to believe he was let go, rather than a situation where he took another job and moved on.

People are having a hard time understanding Hammer's dismissal, unless he voluntarily left. He was extremely well-liked by Commerce tournament players. I didn't know him well, but he was very aware of this site and has listened to the radio show before, and we had a good relationship. It was actually nice playing at the LAPC knowing that I had a good relationship with Justin Hammer and Matt Savage, the two guys in charge.

Some suspected the heated argument with Kessler was to blame, but it's hard to believe that would have resulted in a dismissal. Kessler himself seemed shocked by the news, and denied that he had any hand in it.

Anyway, it's too bad to see this, and I hope Justin is happy in his next position. He did post a clarification tweet stating that, despite his tendency to joke around on Twitter, he was 100% serious about being gone from Commerce.
]]>Poker Community DiscussionDan Druffhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19502-Justin-Hammer-no-longer-at-CommerceFormer Vegas poker pro Erika Trenck dead at 32, then husband dies 5 days laterhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19497-Former-Vegas-poker-pro-Erika-Trenck-dead-at-32-then-husband-dies-5-days-later&goto=newpost
Wed, 04 Sep 2019 08:03:15 GMTErika Trenck entered the poker world the old fashioned way.

In 2007, she noticed a successful pro on TV she thought was "cute", sent him a MySpace message, and they hooked up. Trenck, who had just moved to Vegas at the time with her mom, was around 20 and had little direction. Within a week, she was living with that poker pro. His name was Michael DeMichele, who took the poker world by storm from 2006-2008, but then vanished as quickly as he appeared. He became moderately friendly with Micon at the time, and appeared on NWP Radio with us in 2008. He was a nice guy, from what I remember. He and Trenck broke up in 2009, and she moved on to another guy in poker. Both of these guys worked with Trenck and gave her advice on her poker games, especially DeMichele.

I happened to end up at the same table as Trenck during the 2009 WSOP. She played pretty well, but had an odd arrogance about her, muttering under her breath about recreational players at the table being "donkeys" when they called her bluffs lightly. She also wore very low cut shirts to the table, presumably to distract opponents and using her sexuality to her advantage. I have no problem with that, but I found it funny when she remarked that "most guys don't take female players seriously", given that she seemed to be leaving her tits out for that exact reason.

Micon happened to see me at the table, and later told me that "the pair of breasts you played with today is Michael DeMichele's ex", something I didn't know at the time.

That was my only encounter with her, and I hadn't thought much about her since, except during the occasions when I would see a scantily-clad girl at the table seemingly annoyed that men aren't taking them seriously as legitimate poker players.

A radio listener texted me today about what ever happened to Michael DeMichele, so I googled him, and then stumbled upon an old Pokernews update about him and Trenck. I googled her, and was shocked to see that she died this year at the age of 32. A cause of death was not revealed.

Her husband appeared to have been involved in the Vegas cannabis industry. It's unclear what Erika was doing. She appeared on this podcast in 2017, revealing that she had quit poker after getting together with her husband, and told the story about how she met DeMichele (without naming him).

As for DeMichele, you might wonder why you stopped hearing about him after his huge 2008, where he finished 2nd in the $50k HORSE for over $1 million.

After bricking the 2009 WSOP completely, and taking some criticism after being seen at the series wearing "fingerless gloves and a strange hairstyle", he decided he was frustrated with poker, and quit entirely.

He was also the subject of some seemingly bogus cheating accusations, and Trenck briefly showed up on 2+2 to defend him, and was initially (and wrongly) suspected of being a sockpuppet account.

He made a brief comeback in 2011, hit some small cashes, and quit for good. It's unclear what he's doing today.

I wonder what killed Trenck, and I wonder even more how her husband died just 5 days later. I'm thinking perhaps the dude hels'd himself after his wife abruptly died.
]]>Poker Community DiscussionDan Druffhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19497-Former-Vegas-poker-pro-Erika-Trenck-dead-at-32-then-husband-dies-5-days-laterI made a nitty fold and it haunts mehttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19462-I-made-a-nitty-fold-and-it-haunts-me&goto=newpost
Tue, 27 Aug 2019 22:57:58 GMTWent and played 1-3 Sunday, utg I get AK raise my standard 13, MP (plays almost every hand raising crazy amounts) 3bets 35$, I call
Flop 9JJ rainbow,
I check
He bets 45$
I nit fold
FmlWent and played 1-3 Sunday, utg I get AK raise my standard 13, MP (plays almost every hand raising crazy amounts) 3bets 35$, I call

Flop 9JJ rainbow,

I check

He bets 45$

I nit fold

Fml
]]>Poker Community DiscussionDrawingdeadhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19462-I-made-a-nitty-fold-and-it-haunts-meOpinon on Tournament Rake calculationhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19438-Opinon-on-Tournament-Rake-calculation&goto=newpost
Mon, 19 Aug 2019 10:39:53 GMTIve seen both options in a few cases so Im curious as to people's take on this.. Which would you prefer.

A. The Standard format such as $100+$9 or whatnot where the $100 goes all to the prize pool and then the $9 Vig is on top of it

or

B. An modified form where the total cost is $100 and instead the Vig is tied into the total such that say $91-$93 goes to the prize pool and the vig/entry fee is $7-$9 and tied into it thus making tournament cost a round number of $100 for example.
]]>Poker Community Discussionftpjesushttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19438-Opinon-on-Tournament-Rake-calculationI will be playing some new events at WSOP 2020https://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19418-I-will-be-playing-some-new-events-at-WSOP-2020&goto=newpost
Thu, 15 Aug 2019 01:50:12 GMTAfter 11 straight WSOPs (2005-2015) as strictly a holdem player, I introduced Omaha Hi-Low games into my rotation.

I also was the stone bubble in a WSOP Circuit ring event in O8, and was a few off the bubble in an O8 LAPC event -- the only two I played outside of the WSOP.

I've decided to expand further and play the following in 2020, schedule permitting:

$1500 HORSE
$1500 Stud
$1500 Eight Game
$1500 Stud8
$1500 2-7 Triple Draw
$2500 Mixed O8/Stud8
]]>Poker Community DiscussionDan Druffhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19418-I-will-be-playing-some-new-events-at-WSOP-2020Article on Amending Nevada Online Regulationshttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19385-Article-on-Amending-Nevada-Online-Regulations&goto=newpost
Sun, 04 Aug 2019 16:59:09 GMTI thought this was an interesting piece, especially considering all of the fail from WSOP.com lately, both software and cashout wise from John Mehaffey:
---Quote---
When regulated online poker appeared to be in Nevada’s future, I lobbied for it. I regret that now. I am embarrassed by the fruit of my efforts. It is an industry low point.
It is no secret that I have been an outspoken critic of Nevada online poker. I feel strongly that it has been a comedy of errors. Three licensed poker sites launched in Nevada since it was legalized in 2013. Two failed. The last one standing is the subject of constant customer complaints.
Unfortunately, anything I have tried to do to improve Nevada online poker has either fallen on deaf ears or gotten the monopoly operator angry with me. It is time to do something about the situation. The protection of Nevadans is too important.
---End Quote---
Also found this interesting:
---Quote---
WSOP.com banned me after I publicly criticized the site for poor support and stalling tactics during a withdrawal request. It claimed I requested the banning. I did not. When I challenged that false assertion, the site changed its story to a terms and conditions violation, which I also dispute.
---End Quote---
https://thenevadaindependent.com/article/time-to-amend-nevada-online-poker-regulationsI thought this was an interesting piece, especially considering all of the fail from WSOP.com lately, both software and cashout wise from John Mehaffey:

Quote:

When regulated online poker appeared to be in Nevada’s future, I lobbied for it. I regret that now. I am embarrassed by the fruit of my efforts. It is an industry low point.

It is no secret that I have been an outspoken critic of Nevada online poker. I feel strongly that it has been a comedy of errors. Three licensed poker sites launched in Nevada since it was legalized in 2013. Two failed. The last one standing is the subject of constant customer complaints.

Unfortunately, anything I have tried to do to improve Nevada online poker has either fallen on deaf ears or gotten the monopoly operator angry with me. It is time to do something about the situation. The protection of Nevadans is too important.

Also found this interesting:

Quote:

WSOP.com banned me after I publicly criticized the site for poor support and stalling tactics during a withdrawal request. It claimed I requested the banning. I did not. When I challenged that false assertion, the site changed its story to a terms and conditions violation, which I also dispute.

II posted this on two-plus-two and I though I would pus here also to see if I could get some opinions.

I spoke with someone today that was going to set me up with e-wallets, reinstate my PS and Party accounts from Rosarito and I would only have to stay there a couple of days.

Reading the threads here it doesn't seem that easy without utility bills, bank accounts and land lines.

The fee seemed to be a little high, but to have something taken care of in a day or two that might take me weeks may be worth it. I am not going there to grind and I don't expect to recoup my EV, but I will be doing a lot of travelling out of the country in the future and I want to play on line.

This is a relocation service for Poker players and sports bettors. Their two-plus-two on here is inactive. I found one negative review on two-plus-two, but that seemed to be about house hunting which I could see how it could easily go south.

One thing that worries me a little is that I have to pay up front a couple of months in advance.

Any thoughts?

TIA
]]>Poker Community Discussionmdudleyhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19330-Getting-Pokerstars-account-set-up-in-MexicoIs playing Pokerstars from the USA using a VPN unethical?https://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19328-Is-playing-Pokerstars-from-the-USA-using-a-VPN-unethical&goto=newpost
Mon, 22 Jul 2019 07:55:36 GMTDaniel Negreanu recently posted a poll on Twitter asking: "Do you consider players using a VPN to play online poker from the US to play on sites that forbid play from the US to be cheating?"

76% of roughly 16k voters said "No".

Shane Schleger was prominently voicing his opinions against the majority. Could be a good guest for radio.

ill just say god bless that sports betting Degen, accountant from Tennessee...
]]>Poker Community DiscussionGambleBotsChafedPenishttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19310-2019-Poker-HOFLegalized Online Gambling launches in Pennsylvania and this Fail happens on the first dayhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19298-Legalized-Online-Gambling-launches-in-Pennsylvania-and-this-Fail-happens-on-the-first-day&goto=newpost
Tue, 16 Jul 2019 02:23:11 GMTI saw this retweet on my feed and figured I would post here.

What one guy says in the comments is likely right with the dealer having an ace which is why they are asking if the player wants insurance.

From what I've read which I cannot confirm as I don't live in PA is that online poker hasn't launched yet just some casino games and it sounds like when they do launch it won't be a combined pool at the start but I cannot confirm that either as I'm just going off stuff I've read off 2+2.
]]>Poker Community DiscussionBeerAndPokerhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19298-Legalized-Online-Gambling-launches-in-Pennsylvania-and-this-Fail-happens-on-the-first-dayRoof collapses at Lucky Lady Casino in Gardena, CAhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19297-Roof-collapses-at-Lucky-Lady-Casino-in-Gardena-CA&goto=newpost
Tue, 16 Jul 2019 01:39:38 GMThttps://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2019...es-in-gardena/

There were some minor injuries.

It was known as the Normandie Casino for a long time, but was considered inferior to the nearby Hustler Casino, also located in Gardena.

The sale occurred because the original owners lost their gaming license due to allowing money laundering through the casino -- something which was common practice in California card rooms, and also saw stings at larger casinos such as The Bike.

The casino was built in 1940, called Western Club. In 1947, its name was changed to Normandie. In 1980, the location of the casino moved to its current spot, where a new building was erected.

Gardena as considered a very influential spot for poker, having six card rooms as of the 1960s, and no other city in LA County had card rooms until 1980. Gardena's card rooms are partially credited for the quick popularity of Texas Holdem, which was legalized in California in 1987.
]]>Poker Community DiscussionDan Druffhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19297-Roof-collapses-at-Lucky-Lady-Casino-in-Gardena-CAFolding QQ pre-flop 5-handed in the Main Event?https://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19295-Folding-QQ-pre-flop-5-handed-in-the-Main-Event&goto=newpost
Mon, 15 Jul 2019 15:56:09 GMT
---Quote---
Hand #45. Alex Livingston opened with a raise from under the gun and Dario Sammartino called from the cutoff. Gates was in the big blind and put in a large three-bet with pocket tens. Both opponents folded, but Livingston threw two queens into the muck.
---End Quote---
:baddecision
To put this in context, four opponents have already busted - mostly losing flips. Livingston is one of the three shorter stacks left and is guaranteed $2.2m. The shortest stack still has around 20 big blinds so is not in imminent danger. What hand is he waiting for here? Fantastic opportunity to double up. Folding queens probably costs him $1m in EV.

Quote:

Hand #45. Alex Livingston opened with a raise from under the gun and Dario Sammartino called from the cutoff. Gates was in the big blind and put in a large three-bet with pocket tens. Both opponents folded, but Livingston threw two queens into the muck.

:baddecision

To put this in context, four opponents have already busted - mostly losing flips. Livingston is one of the three shorter stacks left and is guaranteed $2.2m. The shortest stack still has around 20 big blinds so is not in imminent danger. What hand is he waiting for here? Fantastic opportunity to double up. Folding queens probably costs him $1m in EV.
]]>Poker Community DiscussionShawnFanningsLimpDickhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19295-Folding-QQ-pre-flop-5-handed-in-the-Main-Eventhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19289-New-poker-bot-quot-Pluribus-quot-beats-Greg-Merson-Chris-Ferguson-Darren-Elias&goto=newpost
Sun, 14 Jul 2019 09:12:43 GMThttps://www.cardschat.com/news/ai-po...oys-pros-82731

Pluribus only requires 2 CPUs to run (unlike 100 CPUs for 2017's Libratus).

It played trillions of hands against itself, and learned world class No Limit Holdem in 20 hours.

Interesting conclusions which came from Pluribus' learning:

- Limping is indeed a bad idea preflop

- The donk-bet postflop -- once looked down upon by pros -- is actually effective, and Pluribus used it frequently to a lot of success
]]>Poker Community DiscussionDan Druffhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19289-New-poker-bot-quot-Pluribus-quot-beats-Greg-Merson-Chris-Ferguson-Darren-Eliashttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19288-quot-If-you-re-calling-17-you-re-calling-22-quot-did-Jack-Effel-screw-Dario-Sammartino&goto=newpost
Sun, 14 Jul 2019 08:56:44 GMTThe scene:

Down to almost the final 9 in the Main Event, Dario Sammartino had TT preflop and was facing an all-in from another player. He asked for a count, and the idiot dealer counted it as 17 million chips. Dario said "call".

However, it turned out that it was actually 22 million, so Dario was very unhappy, and said that he should only be forced to call 17 million. Jack Effel (WSOP tournament director) was then called over, and (correctly) ruled that regardless of the dealer mistake, his calling the bet is binding.

(It should also be noted that Dario only protested once the hands were turned over, and he saw he was drawing to 2 outs.)

However, when Dario protested, Jack Effel made an obnoxious comment, "If you're calling 17, you're calling 22", which wasn't necessarily true, nor was it his place to say.

Some have complained over the years that Jack is arrogant and dismissive when dealing with complaints from poker players, and that this was a perfect example.
]]>Poker Community DiscussionDan Druffhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19288-quot-If-you-re-calling-17-you-re-calling-22-quot-did-Jack-Effel-screw-Dario-SammartinoWhat happened to mysterious WSOP Main Event Finisher #1286?https://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19263-What-happened-to-mysterious-WSOP-Main-Event-Finisher-1286&goto=newpost
Wed, 10 Jul 2019 11:02:56 GMTTake a look at this list of people cashing the WSOP Main (so far), and scroll down to the bottom: http://www.wsop.com/tournaments/resu...ayof=7655&rr=5

Notice anything missing?

1286 spots were in the money, but only 1285 finishers are listed!

In fact, the WSOP even gave their traditional free Main Event seat for the following year to the bubble boy, which was 1287th place (not officially listed in the link above).

So what about the guy at 1286th? What happened to him?

I have a theory, and it's an unfortunate one.

The WSOP Main was a complete zoo when it got fairly near the money bubble. Stalling was super rampant, prompting complaints from many prominent poker pros on social media. In fact, stalling got so rampant that nearly every table stalled in order to avoid being at a disadvantage compared to other tables. That was the attitude on my table, which stalled plenty. "We don't want to have to do this, but we have to or other tables will have an edge on us as far as getting into the money," said one player.

Hand-for-hand was laughably scheduled to start at 1288 people left -- just two before the money, and just ONE spot before any prize was given (since the stone bubble gets a seat for next year, worth $10k).

People were BEGGING the WSOP floor to go hand-for-hand earlier, or at least make a rule for each table regarding the maximum tank time allowed per hand (kind of a temporary shot clock).

The floor did neither, citing that management refused to change the plans.

Finally, we went hand-for-hand at 1288 left, and the money was reached surprisingly quickly.

It was also noticed that the final hundred players didn't seem to be tracked well (starting from 1386 left). It would be stuck on a number for a long time, and then decreased rapidly.

There is some belief that the floor lost track of the number of players left, and a player may have busted 1286th thinking he had finished a few off the money, and left!

Of course there's no way to figure out who that is, or for that person to prove it.

There is also some possibility that the 1286th player simply walked off and never registered his cash, as he was supposed to, and will return later. But why hasn't he done so yet? It's been a full day since the bubble burst.

We may never find out about mysterious player #1286, but at the very least, that $15,000 he was supposed to get should be returned to the prize pool in some way, or we need to understand where that money is going.
]]>Poker Community DiscussionDan Druffhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19263-What-happened-to-mysterious-WSOP-Main-Event-Finisher-1286Horrible ruling forces player to raise for almost half his stack when he just attempted to call smaller bet at WSOP Mainhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19240-Horrible-ruling-forces-player-to-raise-for-almost-half-his-stack-when-he-just-attempted-to-call-smaller-bet-at-WSOP-Main&goto=newpost
Sat, 06 Jul 2019 07:13:17 GMT

According to this rule, if the pot was 25k or more, then the ruling was correct. But it appears it wasn't.

I had always thought that simply throwing in an oversized chip when facing a bet is always a call, never a raise. I thought the oversized chip can only be bet at full value if you either state it ("25k") or if there's no bet yet, and you're throwing it in as the first bet (and the pot is smaller than the chip value).

They would not reverse the ruling. He was force to "call" 25k, and lost the hand.

WSOP Main Event players start with 60k in chips.

This was the first year the green 25k chips were introduced at the beginning of the event. They should have made it VERY CLEAR to all players what constitutes a 25k bet with them.
]]>Poker Community DiscussionDan Druffhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19240-Horrible-ruling-forces-player-to-raise-for-almost-half-his-stack-when-he-just-attempted-to-call-smaller-bet-at-WSOP-MainEarthquake during Main Event Day 1C causes Andy Frankenberger to have set-over-set hand cancelledhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19239-Earthquake-during-Main-Event-Day-1C-causes-Andy-Frankenberger-to-have-set-over-set-hand-cancelled&goto=newpost
Sat, 06 Jul 2019 07:07:27 GMTTalk about a bad beat...

Presumably they cancelled all ongoing hands when people ran out, because not every dealer was there to make sure that the cards weren't peeked at when people ran out during the shaking.
]]>Poker Community DiscussionDan Druffhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19239-Earthquake-during-Main-Event-Day-1C-causes-Andy-Frankenberger-to-have-set-over-set-hand-cancelledAri Engel chip leader with 4 left in $2500 NL WSOP eventhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19185-Ari-Engel-chip-leader-with-4-left-in-2500-NL-WSOP-event&goto=newpost
Sun, 23 Jun 2019 05:28:22 GMTDespite all of his tournament success, Ari does not have a bracelet yet.

This would be his first one.

He's a nice guy and a regular listener to PFA Radio.

Hope he gets it.

http://www.wsop.com/tournaments/upda...ayof=7564&rr=5
]]>Poker Community DiscussionDan Druffhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19185-Ari-Engel-chip-leader-with-4-left-in-2500-NL-WSOP-eventW.S.O.P. Poor dealer$https://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19183-W-S-O-P-Poor-dealer&goto=newpost
Sun, 23 Jun 2019 05:07:08 GMTLaw rule #1".."Make the stockholder$" Money.
I understand,I am sad.I am denigrated again i reiterate and use this forum, thank you Dandruff as a catharsis(sp)...I speak for 1000, when 1 Bold Honest and True,Tested and Verified, Bonified and I can Declare without Much Objection from Main Core,I Can Proclaim for all 200 and all the rest. It is Not Badge of Honor to deal WSOP anymore.
June 22nd is the day the "Special elite dealers have fell." the special few shall make the double downs which =$ what was half of Normal,ala 2005's 35$ and they had quit at Benny;'s in 04 after them 2 untamed bosse's and crew decimated downs to 40 bux lol. 3 week tourney then too remember .! Chip runner made 10k lol.
But i am so Blessed and amazed to Be C free and alive I love everybody and have compassion and know i do not know most pals storie's of whom i meet daily. Have compassion and tolerance and Love one another. whew my wrists hurt from dealing so viciously and the Felt for all the DEALERS I CRY FOR SUCKS GORILLA DICK>>>A guy said to his friend in UItalian ,"the dealer is a Spastic",Wow,i coulda cried..i needed my nails to move the cards,..all dealer say the same..very hard when surface makes cards stick to felt..I am efficient and it slow me down and others..so again, i digressed.
1 gd man speaks for 1000..Get us good felt, Pay us at the at the Lowest ,lowest 15.50 a down MANDATORY! Ty Todd. NY MK.]]>In all my day's I'd Never thought i'd see the Day. 11+$ a Down. I saw Old Ladies Literally in tear's consoling one another and Grown men cussing and young ones Talking to loud.
I in my situation which if i may allude to the Great ,Anthony Burgess author of " Clockwork Orange",so I can at best just frown and nod and walk away ,for alas, it is Not in me to Voice such negativity and such and yet i cannot be a smiling fool after such a smack in the face to what was once a Proud Profession.
So sad. I am glad i am offa Facebook,last day or 2 and will refrain awhile longer. I told some young kid's who were ranting to stay offa FB as the Boss's read it all. I am right on that fact. Only this year for my own personal reason's ,i said literally i would work for free. I did not know the WSOP would accommodate me. Yet i would do it for free.
For on Last 2018's Yom Kippur(The Holiest Jewish Holiday, The Day of Atonement i was diagnosed) I said Aloud and to a few ,'I would give all I own and walk Butt naked out the Hospital C free w/o a dime or my Gucci's. Oh ; ) 0.0%,Nada,Nothing.I am so Blessed. To Be C free since 4/29 a queer # fyi. lol.
A Day i never forget as is today June 22, I got 5$ and a subway token ,released from reformatory to Manhattan.
Bought a 32os. Olde english 800 and a pack of Merit menthols and went to Pop's Shoe repair., lol. your Boys home Pop, ! hahah..
anyway I cannot complain but it broke my Heart and i am personally embarrassed as a Pro Dealer and Gambler at such a depletion of the Aggregate down pool which is divided by # of "Downs" ..More Chip's ,Longer Levels= More depletion of a finite $ amount in dealer pool.
Eg: 1000$ buy in =1k chips,30 min levels, to 1,500 buy in ,50k! chip's& 100 min level .. Many more "Downs" needed to complete Tourney. And are deducted from Finite Pool$....
Personally as the Guy in Clockwork Orange..I cannot be Mad but i must be Empathic for i am he.The dealer who was 1 of the best of the Best, a WSOP dealer is creme de la creme in any house in the known billion Universe's.
Bean Counter$ Lost site of that HONOR. Now straight outta skool get$ $ame $ as Me& Pr/o's..young and old.Pro's.not rookies who shoulda ran chips a yer or2 first. ehh.. and the Foundation of 100-200 ppl who been there from 1970 onward's -til now. New Dealer don't know what the fk a "High Card" is. he get$ my Pay is denigrating at least, Corp,Pure Greed at it's best.. share not with Non stockholders and adhering to "Corp>Law rule #1".."Make the stockholder$" Money.
I understand,I am sad.I am denigrated again i reiterate and use this forum, thank you Dandruff as a catharsis(sp)...I speak for 1000, when 1 Bold Honest and True,Tested and Verified, Bonified and I can Declare without Much Objection from Main Core,I Can Proclaim for all 200 and all the rest. It is Not Badge of Honor to deal WSOP anymore.
June 22nd is the day the "Special elite dealers have fell." the special few shall make the double downs which =$ what was half of Normal,ala 2005's 35$ and they had quit at Benny;'s in 04 after them 2 untamed bosse's and crew decimated downs to 40 bux lol. 3 week tourney then too remember .! Chip runner made 10k lol.
But i am so Blessed and amazed to Be C free and alive I love everybody and have compassion and know i do not know most pals storie's of whom i meet daily. Have compassion and tolerance and Love one another. whew my wrists hurt from dealing so viciously and the Felt for all the DEALERS I CRY FOR SUCKS GORILLA DICK>>>A guy said to his friend in UItalian ,"the dealer is a Spastic",Wow,i coulda cried..i needed my nails to move the cards,..all dealer say the same..very hard when surface makes cards stick to felt..I am efficient and it slow me down and others..so again, i digressed.
1 gd man speaks for 1000..Get us good felt, Pay us at the at the Lowest ,lowest 15.50 a down MANDATORY<LIKE MEN and like you Care.. FINAL EVENT MANDATORY 22$.
Please,already ,I hear kid's say they won't leave home, they can get 11$ downs' at their home casino's,Like 10 casino's I NEVER HEARD OFF! wow,Minga.
I must stop,Im Exhausted and must be back at 10 and Bring my sincere ,real,100% smile It is real and sincere always, but never more than tomorrow. ,I Protect the Integrity of the 1000s of yrs old game I Love 2nd to the 1st Dice and 3rd Boxing.4th Keno..lolandillegal#s...sssshhh. and 1000s years More it will be ,DICE NEVER ONCE since their invention and inception have stopped tumbling for 1 solid minute ever ever in the world.Think of that and dwell on it & blow yr fkn mind's or what's left of them. KINGDOMS AND RICHE$ beyond yr wildest imagination have been won and lost on a 1roll of a dice.That shall roll as long as time exist and the World will destruct with me and some shuck shooting Dice as the World Crumbles,Amen,Shalom.
I Love all my brother's., and i must admit i fell out last night exhausted at the RIO..to the Radio show on the cellphone ...Blesss Radio>! Ty Todd. NY MK.
]]>Poker Community Discussionshoeshine boxhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19183-W-S-O-P-Poor-dealerGood (but long) essay about the current state of poker, and how to fix ithttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19157-Good-(but-long)-essay-about-the-current-state-of-poker-and-how-to-fix-it&goto=newpost
Mon, 17 Jun 2019 08:12:15 GMTA few months ago, a Twitter account named @Rachelees69 popped up.

It purports to be an over-50 female with more than 30 years of success in the business world.

I was uanble to verify "Rachel's" identity, and "she" admitted that the name is phony. However, she also claimed to legitimately be female, and that her backstory is true. Obviously there's no way to verify any of this.

She just announced that she will be leaving Twitter soon.

She's also a big fan of PFA Radio, and listens regularly.

She wrote a very good essay about poker's past, present, and future. I don't agree with all of it, but I think it's very well put together, and she hits on a lot of good points.

Give it a read: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1...tcOov3JAU/edit
]]>Poker Community DiscussionDan Druffhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19157-Good-(but-long)-essay-about-the-current-state-of-poker-and-how-to-fix-itParty Poker to stop providing hand historieshttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19129-Party-Poker-to-stop-providing-hand-histories&goto=newpost
Tue, 11 Jun 2019 11:18:02 GMTAccording to this post on 2+2, Party Poker will completely remove access to hand histories on their site on June 17.

This will likely coincide with the mandatory screen name change, designed to "reset" all player data and make HUD tracking tools less useful.

While I support the mandatory name change, it's a complete joke that they are eliminating hand histories, especially due to Party's recent concession that most of the online cheating they've caught has been via player reports.

Removal of hand histories will prevent players from policing the games, and also make superusers much more difficult to protect.

Awful decision.
]]>Poker Community DiscussionDan Druffhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19129-Party-Poker-to-stop-providing-hand-historiesFold Out of Turn Controversy at $50,000 NLH High Rollerhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19113-Fold-Out-of-Turn-Controversy-at-50-000-NLH-High-Roller&goto=newpost
Tue, 04 Jun 2019 03:51:06 GMThttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GyQalaqZx0
Heath would end up winning the $1m https://www.pokernews.com/news/2019/06/ben-heath-wsop-50000-high-roller-34350.htm

Heath would end up winning the $1m https://www.pokernews.com/news/2019/...ller-34350.htm
]]>Poker Community DiscussionShizzmoneyhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19113-Fold-Out-of-Turn-Controversy-at-50-000-NLH-High-Rollerhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19102-Jamie-Stapler-s-Vids-Deleted-From-YouTube&goto=newpost
Sun, 02 Jun 2019 03:03:55 GMTtheres a thread about this on 4...

not bringing this up to discuss stapler at all, but more to figure out where the money trail is going on this one...

Andrew neeme, probably the most well known poker vlogger out there, said he had a single video taken down as well and that the content was heavily related to pokerstars...stapler was a pokerstars team pro until recently and he's had many vids taken down...

from skimming the thread on 4 it seems that YT has some policy that you aren't allowed to advertise for gambling sites on your vids so that is why these are getting taken down...seems really directed at pokerstars…

who the hell out there hates stars that much...YT and Sheldon seem like very odd bedfellows...uber liberal YT/Google and uber conservative captain cocksucker...

maybe this isn't directed at stars and maybe it's just a coincidence...just trying to figure out where this all leads back to..

link to 4 thread here:https://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/2.../#post55163554
]]>Poker Community DiscussionGambleBotsChafedPenishttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19102-Jamie-Stapler-s-Vids-Deleted-From-YouTubeTaking a Shot in Vegashttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19091-Taking-a-Shot-in-Vegas&goto=newpost
Tue, 28 May 2019 13:14:59 GMTMy buddy, The Gooch, and I are hitting Vegas this week. I've dug into my gambling vault to find some artifacts so I can study up!

Attention wannabe cardsharps: I've got a solid week of Poker Face Paul experience behind me. And I'll be bringing my Game Gear on the plane to hone my skills even more. If you see any 4-handed game of 5 Card Stud around town, I'll be the one with a pile of chips in front of me.

I'll probably be spending most of my time at Caesars Palace because I've worked out all of my gambling systems on the SNES game. But I might drop by the Horseshoe to hopefully catch a glimpse of poker super star Kevin McBride. We're gonna break Vegas baby!

:fail2
]]>Poker Community DiscussionDan Druffhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19077-Daniel-Negreanu-s-sales-of-WSOP-pieces-at-zero-markup-ends-in-disasterPokerstars fires Daniel Negreanu as site ambassadorhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19076-Pokerstars-fires-Daniel-Negreanu-as-site-ambassador&goto=newpost
Thu, 23 May 2019 17:04:15 GMTLooks like Dnegs has separated from Pokerstars. Pokernews just retweeted a video where he announced it.Looks like Dnegs has separated from Pokerstars. Pokernews just retweeted a video where he announced it.
]]>Poker Community DiscussionSheesfacedhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19076-Pokerstars-fires-Daniel-Negreanu-as-site-ambassadorCNBC Documentary on Poker stakinghttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19058-CNBC-Documentary-on-Poker-staking&goto=newpost
Tue, 21 May 2019 21:19:00 GMT

The end where (I think Ryan Laplante) saying that backing/staking "runs higher edges than real estate and mostly any other industry" = LOL

Maybe for cash games where you are invited with whales, sure.......but tourneys? That's gonna be a no from me, dog
]]>Poker Community DiscussionShizzmoneyhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19058-CNBC-Documentary-on-Poker-stakingMy biggest tournament poker heartbreakshttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19055-My-biggest-tournament-poker-heartbreaks&goto=newpost
Tue, 21 May 2019 08:40:57 GMTEveryone who has played tournament poker has had their share of key bad beats, key coolers, and frustrating bubble and just-missed-final-table situations.

Here are the most soul-crushing hands of my tournament poker career:

1) February 2007, WSOP Circuit $5000 Main Event, Harrah's Rincon

I fought valiantly against a very tough field from start to finish, never holding a big stack, but nonetheless just five spots away from cashing. My stack was between short and average. 23 were left, 18 spots paid, and hundreds of thousands were there for first.

I had 9d8d on the button, and Shane Schleger oddly open-limped in the cutoff, which I'd never seen him do before. I decided to raise, the SB folded, the short-stacked Gavin Smith called in the BB, and Shane called. Flop was all diamonds. "Wow!! If I can just get action and fade a bad beat, I'm gonna have a stack!", I thought.

Checked to me, I bet, and two quick calls. There was a straight draw out there too.

Turn was an offsuited, non-pairing card which would have possibly made some straights.

Checked to me again. Pot was big enough to where I had to stick it in at this point, and charge anyone trying to draw for higher diamonds or a boat.

"All in", I announced.

Then two snap calls from Gavin and Shane.

Huh?? What could they have?

Gavin had AdTd, and Shane had Qd4d. Gavin triped up, Shane (the biggest stack of the three of us) broke about even in the hand, and I was gone.

I walked out feeling like I had just been kicked in the stomach. Never before had I seen flush-over-flush-over-flush on the flop, and I have never seen it since.

2) WSOP $1k With Rebuys, June 2007

This was a rebuy AND addon event. This event was memorable for several reasons -- Negreanu was said to have bought in 48 times (without cashing!), and money was reportedly stolen from the pool by WSOP floormen, as you would rebuy and addon through them, with no record of it anywhere. They changed this in 2008 and made everything done through the cage.

Anyway, this was going to be a TV final table, but they were only televising once we got down to 9. There were 10 left. Somehow Shane Schleger was there again, but this time he wasn't involved in the heartbreaking hand.

Full Tilt offered to pay me $15k to wear their hat on TV, if I made the final table, plus bonuses if I got deeper.

Unknown rec player Barry Cales was in the SB, I was in the BB, and we both had virtually equivalent stacks. We were the shortest two stacks, but neither of us were crippled. Folded to Barry, he raised, I looked down to see QQ, I 3-bet, he went all-in, I called.

Barry turned over AcKc.

Safe flop, safe turn, ace of spades on the river.

I walked away, threw my hat down in disgust, and briskly walked out of the room without saying a word to anyone.

At the televised final table, the play was unexpectedly crazy, and several people with large stacks melted down. Cales barely played a hand and slid into 3rd place for $235k. I had to settle for $23k.

91 players left in the Main Event, and the reality of the situation was starting to sink in. I was just 90 players away from being the Main Event champion, taking home $9 million, and getting $1 million from Pokerstars to have worn their gear.

My stack needed improvement, though. It was about half of average.

I had been short once before, but doubled through a European tellbox who looked like Allen Cunningham.

His name was Niklas Toorell, and I had another encounter with him.

I raised UTG with QQ. An aggressive young guy three-bet me from early position, and Niklas was on the button looking SUPER unhappy. He looked like he wanted to play the hand, but wasn't sure if he should. He looked confused as to what to do. I could tell it wasn't an act. He finally went all in.

Back to me. Do I really put it all on QQ? Normally I'm laying it down here, but his tell was so obvious... he clearly didn't have KK or AA. I thought it had to be JJ, AK, or the other QQ.

I decided to call. Indeed he had AK.

A on the flop, and that was all she wrote. I was crippled but not out. On the small bright side, I somehow survived a few minutes more and saw 91st place turn into 88th, good for another pay jump.

I had mediocre cards, but read every hand and every situation so well that I was betting people off with nothing when they didn't have it, and folding when they did.

On Day 3, an opponent was lamenting in the elevator during a break that I folded to his 4-bet preflop when he had AA, even though his 4-bet wasn't that big. (While he didn't show the AA, he looked visibly upset for quite some time after I folded, leading up to the break!) I had AK on the hand, and I had 3-bet a somewhat tight early position raiser, so he knew I didn't have shit.

"Am I that obvious?", he asked me in an exasperated voice. "How did you know? How did you lay that down?"

We were getting closer and closer to the money, but I stopped winning hands, and my stack dwindled down toward the end of the day.

A guy limped in middle position, and another person limped after him. I looked down to see AK, and shoved.

The limper snap-called. I knew I had made a huge mistake. He turned over AA, and the board ran out how you'd expect.

All of those three days of hard work down the drain in one hand. And it had to come down exactly that way. If I had more chips, I wouldn't have shoved, and would have folded to the limp-reraise. If the guy hadn't limped in the middle, I also wouldn't have shoved. Ugh.

I walked away in shock, even though it wasn't a bad beat at all. I even had a brief panic attack -- the only one I ever had in my life resulting from poker (and the first one in my life ever) -- and had to sit down for about 10 minutes in order to feel well enough to walk back to my room.

6) June 2012, WSOP $5000 Limit Holdem Event

I really wanted to win this event, and I wasn't in bad shape. There were 19 people left, and I had a slightly below average stack. 18 spots paid a minimum of $11k.

Blinds were big, however.

I didn't fear the bubble, and played 4 premium hands. I lost the first three, including an AQ against Ray Dekhargani on my button versus his BB where I c-bet the low flop, and then actually checked the Q turn behind, believing that I was actually not ahead. He fired the river, I called, and indeed he had flopped two pair. I was proud of myself for that turn check, which I usually would never do in limit holdem.

Then I got AK all-in against the BB's 62o. Came A62, I didn't improve, and I was the stone bubble boy.

German Pokerstars all-star B00mslang came in 20th, also in somewhat heartbreaking fashion.

He saw what happened to me, and told me he wanted us to "go and get drunk". Despite being a non-drinker, I considered it, but my stomach hurt too much from what happened. I politely declined and went back to my room.

A year later, in 2013, I announced that my goal was to avenge this bubbling, and make the final table in this event. That's exactly what I did, finishing 5th.

7) June 2009, WSOP $1500 NL Holdem 6-Handed

With 94 people left, and easily in the money, I had an average stack in this event.

I had AT, and the flop came T-7-3 rainbow.

There were like 3-4 of us preflop, and I was in latest position. I got check-raised all-in on the flop.

Now I had a decision to make. Do I put my tournament life on the line and throw away an average stack with just KT here?

If I had a shorter stack, or if we were both large stacks, the decision would be obvious, but here I had just enough chips to where it was tough. I could be drawing almost dead.

I decided there was just too much of a chance he flopped a straight draw or held JT/QT. I also was just getting a vibe from him that he wasn't strong. If I was wrong and he had AT or better, so be it.

I called.

He looked unhappy, and flipped over QT. YES!!!

Q on the turn.

Just as I walked out in 94th place, the star spangled banner started playing, because they were doing a bracelet ceremony. Lovely.

I was given a seat for free by UB, and made the most of it, in this $6k buyin event.

Despite not getting many cards, I was running over the tables of a lot of passive recreational players who had won their way in, and was able to stay afloat for a long time, though never with a big stack. I just wasn't hitting flops, but I stole enough to run deep with a perpetual short-average type stack. In reference to my aggression, one player called me the "short big stack".

The oldest person in the tournament -- a guy who was 76 but looked and acted 86 -- was to my direct left. He was exactly what you'd expect, shaky-handed, passive, and confused.

I had A5o on the button, and raised. He called from the SB, BB folded.

Flop was Q55. Excellent!

He check-raised me all-in. I was thrilled to see this. I knew he didn't have QQ, and unless he had Q5 (unlikely), I was going to double up and finally have a nice stack.

I called. Indeed, he had K5, and I was in great shape.

K hit the turn, and after a blank river, I was headed for the rail.

As I walked away in frustration, a player from the table ran up to me and told me, "You were the best player at the table by far. You deserved way better than this."

I thanked him, and it felt good, because especially in 2007, I was still feeling my way around NL tournaments. It wasn't much of a consolation, though, especially given how weak this field was, and most of the good players were already out.
]]>Poker Community DiscussionDan Druffhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19055-My-biggest-tournament-poker-heartbreaksMark up and the free market.https://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19037-Mark-up-and-the-free-market&goto=newpost
Thu, 16 May 2019 18:22:34 GMTJust wanted to weigh in on the mark up debate.
I hold the common position that it is a free market. And people can charge what they can. However I don't think people should be criticized for criticizing others rates. Especially when they are higher than average.
Consumer education is part of the free market.
Ex. If car dealer "A" asks 20k for a new car. Car dealer "B" asks 40k for the same car. No one would criticize someone for telling there friends to go to dealer "A". Since "B" is a much worse value.
While it might be true that no one actually knows what someones true value in tourney is. There is enough data out there to determine a resonable approximation for an average.
Gambling only exists because people dont understand the nature of the exchange. Casinos would close up quik. If they posted a sign that said " hand us $100/1000,watch this wheel spin, we give you $85/850 back"
The mark up market is not well understood and benifits from this same concept.
]]>Poker Community DiscussionBincshttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19037-Mark-up-and-the-free-marketYou can now transfer money between players on Ignition (sort of)https://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19035-You-can-now-transfer-money-between-players-on-Ignition-(sort-of)&goto=newpost
Thu, 16 May 2019 02:12:07 GMTOver on Ignition they have added this method to certain players for a deposit/withdrawal where for example you can withdrawal $50 and receive a voucher code that you can give a friend to deposit into there account.

Not sure if Bovada will go this route too it's kind of a P2P transfer thing except that it's not instant (24 to 48 hours it says)
]]>Poker Community DiscussionBeerAndPokerhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19035-You-can-now-transfer-money-between-players-on-Ignition-(sort-of)Bovada removes certain cash games from sitehttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19021-Bovada-removes-certain-cash-games-from-site&goto=newpost
Wed, 15 May 2019 06:27:30 GMTThe changes just occurred today.

They completely removed fixed limit O8. That was always empty anyway, as the anonymous tables killed it years ago. So that wasn't a big loss.

However, much more baffling was the removal of 15/30 fixed limit holdem, as that tended to go every day. Now 10/20 and 30/60 remain, but no more 15/30.

They have also killed 9-handed NL Holdem at 5/10 and above. Six handed still has 5/10 and 10/20.

9-handed fixed limit holdem was killed awhile ago.

I'm not sure what they're trying to do here. I assume they were removing the dead tables, so as to give fewer choices and thus make the games that do run more active.

Not a bad idea, but removing 15/30 limit holdem was really strange, as that one went just as much as 30/60.
]]>Poker Community DiscussionDan Druffhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19021-Bovada-removes-certain-cash-games-from-siteDan Heimiller selling shares for as much as 2.0 markup, not being clear about ithttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19020-Dan-Heimiller-selling-shares-for-as-much-as-2-0-markup-not-being-clear-about-it&goto=newpost
Tue, 14 May 2019 22:28:00 GMTCheck out this convoluted package being sold by Dan Heimiller:

Quote:

World Series of Poker PACKAGE 1 2019
12 Tournaments numbered below.
$17,950 in buyins
Coming from 50 shares to be sold At $359 each.
Percentage of each tournament for each share is stated below.

1. $10,000 buy-in WSOP World Championship Main Event, July 5th
Backers get 0.20% of total prize money per share.
Win about $15,000+ per share if I come 1st place! ($8,000,000×0.20%)
Allocating $34 per share for 0.20% .(The $34 is what part of the $359 is being used for that tournament)

2. WSOP $1000 Seniors , June 13th, 10am, includes $1000 Rebuy
Backers get 0.20% of total prize money per share
Win about $1,200 per share if I come 1st place! ($600,000×0.20%)
Allocating $8 per share for 0.20%

3. $625 Mega Satellite for WSOP $50,000 buyin high roller, May 29th and May 30th, 12pm, up to 2 buyins at $625 each.
Backers get 1% of total prize money per share
Win about $12,000 per share if I come 1st place! ($1,200,000×1%)
Allocating $25 per share for 1%

4. $1500 WSOP Omaha Hi/Lo, May 30th, 3pm
Backers get 1.2% of total prize money per share
Win about $2880 per share if I come 1st place! ($240,000×1.2%)
Allocating $30 per share for 1.2%

8. $1000 WSOP NLH Super Turbo Bounty, June 4th 11am
Backers get 1.2% of total prize money per share
Win about $1800 per share if I come 1st place! ($150,000×1.2%)
Allocating $20 per share for 1.2%

9. $1000 WSOP HORSE, June 5th,11am
Backers get 1.2% of total prize money per share
Win about $2430 per share if I come 1st place! ($203,000×1.2%)
Allocating $20 per share for 1.2%

10. $1100 buyin Venetian $3,000,000 guarantee MSPT, Up to 4 buyins. June 4th, 5th, & 6th, 1210pm
Backers get 1.2% of total prize money per share
Win about $7200 per share if I come 1st place! ($600,000×1.2%)
Allocating $88 per share for 1.2%

Total at this point $17,950 to raise
50 shares At $359 each.

Leftover Moneys
Because tournaments overlap and rebuys may not be necessary there will probably be money left over.
This will go to:

11. $1100 Mega Satellite for $10,000 Omaha Hi/Lo, June 5th, 8pm, 1 rebuy.
Backers get 1.2% of total prize money per share
Win about $5040 per share if I come 1st place! ($420,000×1.2%)

12. $1500 Seven-Card Stud, June 7th, 3pm
Backers get 1.2% of total prize money per share
Win about $1000 per share if I come 1st place! ($105,000×1.2%)

Any money left over at this point, and Share Profits will Go To Backers !

Please ask questions. If you need to be negative private message me.

Comment below if you'd like to buy shares

He's already drawing lots of criticism for both the insane markup and the convoluted way he's listing it, possibly to avoid discovery of the markup!

The two most egregious?

Seniors Event ($1k x 2) is $8 for 0.2% of his action. Multiply that out to 1%, and you'll see it's $40 -- markup is 2.0!!!!

$625 satellite into the $50k High Roller is also 2.0 markup. But it's even worse. Because satellites tend to have a poor structure, good players like Heimiller have less of an advantage, and thus a 2.0 markup is DEFINITELY not justified for anyone.

:what

Just in case you think he just likes selling microshares, notice that other events are being sold at 1.2% increments.

Stating people's best case scenario (if he wins the event) is also a bit used-car-salesman like.

While I think that people can charge what they want, they should always be clear about it. Here it does seem he's going out of his way to hide it.

Source: https://www.facebook.com/groups/406567796593415/
]]>Poker Community DiscussionDan Druffhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19020-Dan-Heimiller-selling-shares-for-as-much-as-2-0-markup-not-being-clear-about-itOnline Rake rateshttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19017-Online-Rake-rates&goto=newpost
Tue, 14 May 2019 19:48:53 GMTAs Im sure many are aware online rake has been open for discussion for awhile now from the higher rake is better arguments to the lower rake is better to get more players into the games and so people don't lose as much money as fast to the site encouraging potential redeposits.. Im taking a poll to try and figure out where the sweet spot is for rake without pissing off customers but also not have it so low it encourages bum hunting as has been the accusation on some sites.. Just for some information this is what Ive collected from a few websites.. One is directly the rake structure from PS own site.. MGMs current online rake structure and a comparison site that shows some rake on other online sites popular with folks. Im allowing for multiple choice options.. Im curious as to what people think on here.. I suspect I know where people will lean and this may or may not have anything to do with a new poker site coming online sometime in the future aiming to try and find a happy medium for players across the board.. Feel free to put comments in as well if you have other suggestions or ideas..

https://poker.nj.playmgm.com/en/poke...-rake-schedule
]]>Poker Community Discussionftpjesushttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?19017-Online-Rake-rateshttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?18983-Ari-Engel-gets-Horseshoe-Tunica-to-take-down-Annie-Duke-s-picture&goto=newpost
Wed, 01 May 2019 19:27:04 GMTAri made a twitter post saying the Horseshoe should not post Annie's picture on the wall. A short time later they took it down. Check it out here:

Making a tough fold is the hardest thing to do in poker, and today we're making a tough fold: 3Bet will be closing its doors for good in the coming weeks.

Our mission from Day 1 was always to give poker players another way to further connect with the game we all love and while we're disappointed to be moving on, we're proud to have accomplished that goal for thousands and thousands of players around the world over the last 6+ years.* We hope you wore your 3Bet gear with as much pride as we took in making it!

Thank you to all our customers and fans and thank you to the poker community for the support - it's been a great ride.

We hope that you take advantage of our clearance sale and load up on great 3Bet gear one last time (details below).

As they say in poker, and in entrepreneurship...

On To The Next One.

Best of luck at the tables.

For the moment, their website still exists, in attempt to unload their remaining clothing items for 50% off: https://3bet.com/

Then there's this travesty:

They had a shitload of other pros promoting this crap. Brian Rast, Antonio Esfandiari, Greg Mueller, Jonathan Little, and various others wore this gear to tournaments.

It's not clear whether the pros were paid directly, or if they were given some kind of ownership stake.

The clothing -- especially the shirts -- looks like CafePress quality, which isn't a compliment.

After dominating the mid-stakes poker scene for well over 15 years, raising the rake to unreasonable levels, and eliminating the unlimited free food, Commerce is finally starting to feel the sting.

The Bike is now aggressively attempting to steal Commerce's action. Their tactics:

- Hosted games. Certain Bike employees now "host" games they want to get going, such as 40/80 limit holdem, and help draw players over there. It's starting to work.

- Discounted or comped nights at their (much newer) hotel. Commerce's "poker rate", which was once just $79 without tax, is now double that, and the hotel has gotten somewhat rundown despite being only 17 years old.

- Lower rake. Less rake is better, so I've heard.

Commerce first ignored this, but now is starting to panic.

They ran a "half rake promotion" in the "top section" (middle and upper limit) room, for the entire month of March 2019. Now they've extended that 50% off promotion through April. I wonder if it will continue through May, as well.

Commerce needs to avoid making the mistake that Hollywood Park did in the early 2000s. Once the biggest LA area room for middle and high stakes action, Hollywood Park got arrogant and complacent, and didn't address their issues. In 2002, Commerce built a brand new, large, dedicated room for high stakes action, and put up a new hotel. Hollywood Park didn't care. They stayed the course. Very shortly thereafter, their mid and upper stakes games died, and it all moved to Commerce.
]]>Poker Community DiscussionDan Druffhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?18957-The-Bike-is-declaring-war-on-Commerce-mid-stakes-gameshttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?18939-Daniel-Negreanu-accuses-Global-Poker-Awards-of-impropriety-after-quot-trolls-quot-win-best-podcast-award&goto=newpost
Mon, 15 Apr 2019 09:49:53 GMTPokerFraudAlert Radio always gets snubbed by the Global Poker Awards. I don't let this bother me, because the awards are a joke anyway, nor do I really give a shit about awards in general. The snubbing is a running joke on the show.

However, when I noticed this year that Negreanu's DAT Poker Podcast wasn't one of the finalists for "Best Poker Podcast", I had a feeling he was going to be bitter. In fact, I was kind of surprised it wasn't one of the choices, given Negreanu's star power along with the other two hosts (Terrence Chan, Adam Schwartz) who came over from the 2+2 Pokercast.

Anyway, we didn't hear anything from Daniel about it for awhile, but when David Lappin and Dara O'Kearney were the winners, that was too much for him to handle. David and Dara wrote some blogs critical of Negreanu a few months ago, and now he apparently hates them.

Rather than explain this further, here's SrslySirius' cliffs on the topic from 2+2:

Quote:

Originally Posted by SrslySirius

* Daniel posted a (now deleted) tweet about certain player traits being "cancer". He received a lot of backlash.

* Dara O'Kearny wrote a blog post criticizing Daniel for this, among other things. The thumbnail image was Daniel's infamous blackface snafu.

* Daniel called it a hatchet job and dismissed Dara as a troll.

* Later, Dara and his co-host David Lappin won a GPI award for best podcast. On the broadcast, Daniel was visibly disgusted and said "ewww".

and now we hear long-time pro Barry Greenstein as well as Jake Cody are absent from the current list of Team Pokerstars on the site. So no mention from Pokerstars, just a quiet drop. I could only find this on the French PokerNews.com site (don't know why), so use Google translate...

This is the same way they dropped Vanessa Selbst. Pokerstars likes to pretend their old team members never existed.
]]>Poker Community DiscussionForum Warshttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?18934-More-Pokerstars-Cleaning-House-Barry-Greenstein-Jake-Cody-Randy-Lew-no-longer-quot-Team-Pokerstars-quotWorst online poker software ever?https://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?18912-Worst-online-poker-software-ever&goto=newpost
Tue, 09 Apr 2019 07:14:35 GMTIntroducing the new Bovada client.

How much does it suck?

Let me count the ways....

1) Chips being bet are tiny and almost require a magnifying glass to see

2) Player balances are tiny and almost require a magnifying glass to see

3) Lots of empty red space for no apparent reason

4) Tons of useless bullshit on the right side, taking up space

5) Hand history and hand replayer have been separated, and you can't see hole cards on the hand replayer

:fail2

Attached Images

]]>Poker Community DiscussionDan Druffhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?18912-Worst-online-poker-software-everWSOP has disallowed media credentials for players who are also mediahttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?18893-WSOP-has-disallowed-media-credentials-for-players-who-are-also-media&goto=newpost
Thu, 04 Apr 2019 17:48:11 GMTI have had a WSOP media credential since 2009 -- first with Donkdown, and then starting in 2012 with PokerFraudAlert.

It's not a huge deal, but it does get you usage of the media room and some access/perks which are nice to have.

You have to apply each year, and aside from one year awhile back where it was first denied by a new employee and then later force-approved by upper management, it's been a very smooth approval process each year.

That's why I was surprised when this year's application was...

:denied

Even more perplexing, it was denied by a longtime employee who had been approving me for the last several years. So this one was no mistake by a noob.

I asked for further clarification from management, and I was given a detailed answer.

In a nutshell, they've decided to refuse all media credential requests from WSOP players.

So if you're playing in any open bracelet event, you're not getting a media credential.

Why?

Apparently there were "issues" with certain player/media types last year (not me), and it made them review the entire matter for 2019. The decision was made to restrict media credentialing to full time media companies. People at the WSOP both to play AND be media will not get a credential this year.

I was assured that none of this was aimed at me personally, and that I had done nothing wrong to cause the denial.

While it is the WSOP's right to set whichever credentialing policy they choose, this is disappointing to me. I enjoyed being credentialed media, and it was one of the things which made the WSOP an enjoyable yearly experience for me. I'll still enjoy it as a player, but I feel like something is missing now.

Before you laugh at PFA getting a media credential, keep in mind that we really are poker media, and we really do cover the WSOP in depth, especially on the radio show during those months. In fact, PFA articles are often linked and quoted on Pokernews and other larger sites nowadays.

The PFA coverage is also very fair and unbiased. I'm not a shill and never sugarcoat mistakes they make, but at the same time, I've defended them many times when bitter/delusional players unfairly attack the WSOP on social media.

Unfortunately, the rise of vloggers and other player-media hybrids has made them reevaluate the player-media credentialing, and this was sadly the result.

RIP PokerFraudAlert media pass. You will be missed.
]]>Poker Community DiscussionDan Druffhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?18893-WSOP-has-disallowed-media-credentials-for-players-who-are-also-mediaLee Jones has quit Pokerstars, and has made a brief statement on 2+2 about ithttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?18868-Lee-Jones-has-quit-Pokerstars-and-has-made-a-brief-statement-on-2-2-about-it&goto=newpost
Wed, 27 Mar 2019 10:03:53 GMTLee Jones, longtime cardroom manager of Pokerstars, then briefly of Cake Poker, and then of Pokerstars again, has finally quit.

My name is Lee and I've been playing poker for 35 years. I wrote a book called Winning Low Limit Hold’em back in the ‘90s. After many wonderful years at PokerStars, I’m happy to report that I am no longer working for the Man. No surprise, my love affair with poker is raging. I’m playing, writing, and coaching, every chance I get. I am excited to see what comes next in this adventure.

Someone posted this on 2+2, and a debate broke out regarding whether Lee was a good or bad guy.

His detractors accused him of being an unethical paid shill of Amaya (current Pokerstars owners), publicly defending any of their unfair/unethical behavior because it paid his bills.

His supporters stated that he is a good, ethical man who loves the game of poker, and was simply a spokesman for the company in the later years. They insisted he didn't make any of the unpopular decisions, nor could he overrule any of them.

Here's what I wrote about him on 2+2:

Quote:

As someone who played very actively on Pokerstars since almost the beginning all the way through Black Friday, I had a lot of visibility into Lee's work.

Back then, he was a mostly beloved figure in poker.

Later on, in the Amaya days, opinions started to change, especially after a series of player-unfriendly decisions by the company.

I don't know Lee personally. I know who he is, and he knows who I am (I'm Dan Druff, in case you weren't aware), but we had little direct contact with one another.

I will say that Lee was part of the poker community way before the Moneymaker boom, and in fact he predates the 2+2 forum. His beginners limit holdem book was actually what got me into poker, and I felt it was a great introductory text on the subject.

Some people I respect are friends with him, and have nothing but good things to say about his character and integrity.

I feel that Lee is a decent guy, loves the poker community, and at no time was doing anything he felt was seriously hurting the game.

That's not to say he didn't make some mistakes. By defending a lot of Pokerstars' unethical actions in the Amaya era, he did lose some of his personal credibility. While it was clear he was acting as a company spokesperson, the bottom line is that he is/was a known name in poker, and his statements end up defining him.

At times, I found some of his explanations evasive and/or infuriating, even though they didn't directly involve me.

I do understand his dilemma, though. He was one of their spokesmen, and his job was to attempt to make Pokerstars look good. He was being paid to show loyalty to them, and to project their message.

We can sit on our high horses and say, "He should have quit", but this was his long-running livelihood, and he had to make the decision whether to end that simply because he disagreed with some of his employer's business practices.

Now, if Stars was outright scamming and cheating people, and he stayed as their mouthpiece, I'd be all aboard the hate train with the rest of you.

However, I would classify some of the recent Stars decisions as "unethical", "unfair", and "pro-unfriendly", but not criminal. There's a huge distinction there.

In short, I don't think Lee deserves any hate. At worst, he was the mouthpiece for some unethical dealings by Stars, but he never had any meaningful input into these decisions, and everything would have occurred whether he was with the company or not.

I wish Lee luck in his future endeavors.

In the next post, I will share Lee's statement he recently made on 2+2.
]]>Poker Community DiscussionDan Druffhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?18868-Lee-Jones-has-quit-Pokerstars-and-has-made-a-brief-statement-on-2-2-about-ithttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?18781-Sugarhouse-Casino-in-Pennsylvania-fined-30k-people-fired-over-Doug-Polk-quot-flip-quot-hand&goto=newpost
Sun, 10 Mar 2019 11:46:39 GMTHere's a pretty good Pokernews writeup of the situation: https://www.pokernews.com/news/2019/...fine-33566.htm

In short, the PA Gaming Commission fined Sugarhouse $30k for spreading two unauthorized games -- 10-card Stud and Open Face Chinese.

In both cases, the "spreading" of such games was extremely brief.

The 10-card Stud game was a $42k "flip" between him and Jeremy Kaufman, where basically each blind-wagered $42k, and then were each dealt 10 cards, attempting to make the best possible 5 card hand. This was recorded and later uploaded to YouTube:

Two employees were disciplined, and two supervisors resigned over the matter (perhaps with an imminent firing coming?)

This was done after a filming of Poker Night in America.

In a separate incident, five hands of Open Face Chinese were dealt without house permission by a "dealer who went rogue" (lol), but the game was quickly stopped.

The Pennsylvania Gaming Board meeting covering these matters is below, starting at 1:15:00.

For those of you that don't know, state gaming boards are very strict regarding the type of poker games spread. If unapproved games are spread, even once, the casino can get in big trouble.
]]>Poker Community DiscussionDan Druffhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?18781-Sugarhouse-Casino-in-Pennsylvania-fined-30k-people-fired-over-Doug-Polk-quot-flip-quot-handPoker pro Jon Jonsson missing for nearly a month since poker festivalhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?18760-Poker-pro-Jon-Jonsson-missing-for-nearly-a-month-since-poker-festival&goto=newpost
Wed, 06 Mar 2019 00:35:07 GMThttps://www.gambling911.com/Search-on-for-Icelandic-Poker-Pro-Jon-Jonsson.html
Not looking good for him.
Wonder what happened.
Image: https://www.gambling911.com/files/styles/article_image/public/publisher/missing-poker-pro2home.png?itok=YlIM085p https://www.gambling911.com/Search-o...n-Jonsson.html

Not looking good for him.

Wonder what happened.

]]>Poker Community DiscussionDan Druffhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?18760-Poker-pro-Jon-Jonsson-missing-for-nearly-a-month-since-poker-festivalPokerStars Bans Seating Scripts and Restricts Use of Hand Range Chartshttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?18740-PokerStars-Bans-Seating-Scripts-and-Restricts-Use-of-Hand-Range-Charts&goto=newpost
Thu, 28 Feb 2019 10:34:55 GMTCheck out the full story here: https://www.pokernews.com/news/2019/02/pokerstars-bans-seating-scripts-restricts-hand-range-charts-33487.htmCheck out the full story here: https://www.pokernews.com/news/2019/...arts-33487.htm
]]>Poker Community DiscussionMatt The Rathttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?18740-PokerStars-Bans-Seating-Scripts-and-Restricts-Use-of-Hand-Range-ChartsDavid Peters wins US Poker Open Series Title pulling the equivalant of Runner Runner to suck outhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?18715-David-Peters-wins-US-Poker-Open-Series-Title-pulling-the-equivalant-of-Runner-Runner-to-suck-out&goto=newpost
Sun, 24 Feb 2019 09:37:56 GMTNot during an actual hand but here was the situation. Going into the FT of the USPO Main 100k Buy in.. There were three people who could potentially win the title Sean Winter who made his 6th out of 10 FTs in this tournament and had been crushing it only needed to cash (finish 5th or better to win it all irregardless of anybodyelse after he retook the lead after Event 9 from last years winner Steven Chidwick.. Chidwick being bounced when he did the Main Event ensured he COULD NOT win it regardless of what happened at the FT). The remaining were Nick Schulman who had an outside shot but was soo short stacked his chances were slim.. And David Peters.. with Winter going out in 8th he was still basically the massive favorite to win the Series Title and extra 100k bonus unless...… Yes the only remaining threat was David Peters who would have to win the whole tournament to take the Series Title and the 100k.. If he did so he would finish with 550pts (barely edging Winters 540 and Chidwicks 530).. To make it worse Peters was pretty short stacked when Winters went out in 5th out of 7th place 3rd to 7th were tightly stacked 690k at 3rd with Jason Koon to Bonomos 7th place stack with 530k (level was 10k/20k with 20k BBA) the top 2 chip stacks had 1.4m and 2.2M so there was a huge gap between the top two and the bottom 5.. That makes Peters ability to claw back and win the whole thing pretty impressive.. Not going to lie I was rooting for Winter who finished 2nd in pts but made 6 out of 10 FTs compared to Peters 3.. Oh the final irony.. Peters who needed to win the whole tournament to take the series won ironically with Dead mans Hand A8os.. Kinda fitting if I must say so.. Who says the poker gods don't have a sense of humor
]]>Poker Community Discussionftpjesushttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?18715-David-Peters-wins-US-Poker-Open-Series-Title-pulling-the-equivalant-of-Runner-Runner-to-suck-outFreddie Ellis, the oldest player to win a bracelet in his first WSOP, has passed awayhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?18704-Freddie-Ellis-the-oldest-player-to-win-a-bracelet-in-his-first-WSOP-has-passed-away&goto=newpost
Thu, 21 Feb 2019 10:46:48 GMTFreddie Ellis was an east coast real estate broker who played high stakes Seven Card Stud in Atlantic City.

In 2009, he took a shot at his first-ever WSOP event, the $10k Seven Card Stud, and won it.

He was 74 years old at the time. ESPN described him as "visibly fatigued" by the end -- a problem which plagues many elderly poker players who can no longer handle the long hours of tournament play.

Despite his unexpected rookie victory in a very tough field, Ellis revealed that he was somewhat sad, because his longtime wife had frequently watched him play poker, and she had passed away two years prior.

Despite his advanced age at the time, Ellis survived almost another decade. He did return to play a few more WSOP events, the last one (to my knowledge) being in 2014.

In 2013, he almost won another bracelet in Stud, finishing 3rd in the $2500 event.

Here's an interview he did in 2009:

]]>Poker Community DiscussionDan Druffhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?18704-Freddie-Ellis-the-oldest-player-to-win-a-bracelet-in-his-first-WSOP-has-passed-awaySuperuser on Bovada/Ignition at limit holdem?https://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?18700-Superuser-on-Bovada-Ignition-at-limit-holdem&goto=newpost
Thu, 21 Feb 2019 00:36:00 GMTI hate to make rigtard accusations like this, but I feel it would be irresponsible not to say anything given what happened 10+ years ago on AP/UB.

In the limit holdem games 15/30 and 30/60, there is a guy who sits and waits alone for many hours at a time. He will play heads up and ring.

Every time he absolutely crushes it. He wins thousands each session. In the past 6 weeks, I've never once see him run bad. Occasionally he will lose a few hands in a row and get $1k down or so, but then comes back to crush.

He hits hands over and over and over again, even heads up. He rarely takes bad beats, and rarely seems to miss, other than check/fold type situations on the flop where he isn't losing much.

It's also rare that he takes coolers where you have something huge and he also has something big, and a lot of action goes in. When you flop big against him, nobody's home.

This doesn't even seem exactly like the AP/UB superuser situation, because it's not just a matter of him being too knowledgeable regarding what you have. It more seems like the guy just hits hands way too well, especially heads up, but also in ring.

I will say that he's also very good at knowing when he's ahead or behind, though, rarely putting in raises or bets unless he has a chance at getting you to fold or your hand is too weak to re-raise.

For example, if I check-raise middle pair on the flop, he's raising the turn if he's holding top pair on the flop, even with a bad kicker. However, if I am holding a set or two pair in the same situation, somehow he knows to just call down.

I haven't done any analysis on this yet. It's actually difficult because of the anonymous tables, though I know him by his playstyle and several other factors. It's very specifically one guy.

Keep in mind that this isn't a whine post because I'm losing. I'm actually not losing. I'm still winning on the site despite this dude. Against everyone but him, I'm doing very well.

I've been watching him not just in hands with me, but also in ring hands against others, and he just crushes every time.

Maybe it's an insane heater where he's just hitting the world, but I'm starting to get concerned.

FYI he tends to sit with funny buyin amounts, made to trick you into believing he's a fish sitting with his entire roll. So he will be sitting at 30/60 with something like $489 or at 15/30 with $238.50.

Anyone else have experience with this person? I'm definitely going to avoid games where he's present from now on, unless there's a megafish present or it's a 5-6 handed game with more than one soft spot.
]]>Poker Community DiscussionDan Druffhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?18700-Superuser-on-Bovada-Ignition-at-limit-holdemDoes Bovada owe me anything with these 2 fails ?https://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?18692-Does-Bovada-owe-me-anything-with-these-2-fails&goto=newpost
Wed, 20 Feb 2019 19:30:47 GMTPlayed a 5 dollar satellite which paid exactly top 4 of 44 .
Reached top 4 and the tourney kept going ... and going ..

We each tried to donk off our chips to get it to end ...
this took a good 10 minutes before I finally busted and it ended .

The targeted tourney had been going now for 15-20 minutes .

I was transfer to that table , you could see my name ( me ) in the
lobby and for some reason I couldn't sit down . Screen read " password
not valid " which was weird because I could sit down at other tables .

I tried to restart but it wouldn't allow me saying I couldn't have two
Bovada programs running simultaneously . WTF . I restarted computer .

I finally was able to sit down 800 chips short of 10k starting stack .

With 3 players until money I had one big blind left and in two hands
I would be all in . I am obviously sitting out my next hand UTG ... unless ...
I get AA . Which is exactly what I got and lost with them :/ Out on bubble .

Now if I had the the 800 extra chips , and the addition chips that I would garner
with each double up ... Im definitely sitting out UTG no matter what and making the
min cash for 100 bucks.

Do I have a case for refund or is this a case of don't play like an idiot and fall to one big blind. ?
]]>Poker Community DiscussionBallhawknethttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?18692-Does-Bovada-owe-me-anything-with-these-2-failsMy Twitter question about O8 tournament hand brought out many top poker players to weigh inhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?18689-My-Twitter-question-about-O8-tournament-hand-brought-out-many-top-poker-players-to-weigh-in&goto=newpost
Wed, 20 Feb 2019 07:09:15 GMTThe scene: I was playing the $1100 O8 event at the Commerce LAPC yesterday, and we were fairly deep into the event. About 70% of the field was gone, and they pay top 12.5%.

I was below average in chips with about 57k total. I put 2k into the SB, as we were playing 2k/4k blinds and 4k/8k limit.

7-handed table.

Two average players (not tight, not loose) raised and 3-bet from UTG and UTG+1.

Folded to me, where I was in SB and had to put in 10k more to call. I only had 55k behind. I held AhQhQs4h.

I considered calling and seeing the flop. After all, I had a high pair, A4, and hearts. Lots of ways to possibly win. But I feared that the queens would be too weak to clal down without improving and the A4 low would be dominated. Worst yet, I'd have to put in nearly 20% of my stack in, out of position, to see that flop.

I folded.

Flop came Q23. Not only would I have won, I would have taken down a monster pot.

I ended up busting seven from the money in the tournament. That hand was bugging me... but was I being results oriented? I kept telling myself I did the right thing.

Needless to say, that's a lot of discussion from a lot of big names, all about a poker hand before the money in a rather inconsequential Commerce tournament!
]]>Poker Community DiscussionDan Druffhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?18689-My-Twitter-question-about-O8-tournament-hand-brought-out-many-top-poker-players-to-weigh-inWinter isn’t just coming. He has arrived at the USPOhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?18685-Winter-isn’t-just-coming-He-has-arrived-at-the-USPO&goto=newpost
Mon, 18 Feb 2019 01:01:42 GMTSean Winter has to be the favorite to win the USPO 100k bonus for PLayer of the series. He has now ridiculously made all 4 FTs of the first four events at the USPO. He’s tied in the standings with last years Player of the Series who binked two of the tournaments Steven Chidwick who also made 4 FTs last year out of the 8events. Winter has to be the favorite to win however Chidwick isn’t going to relinquish the title easily I’m guessing. Could it be it comes down to those two both at the FT in the 100k Main EventSean Winter has to be the favorite to win the USPO 100k bonus for PLayer of the series. He has now ridiculously made all 4 FTs of the first four events at the USPO. He’s tied in the standings with last years Player of the Series who binked two of the tournaments Steven Chidwick who also made 4 FTs last year out of the 8events. Winter has to be the favorite to win however Chidwick isn’t going to relinquish the title easily I’m guessing. Could it be it comes down to those two both at the FT in the 100k Main Event
]]>Poker Community Discussionftpjesushttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?18685-Winter-isn’t-just-coming-He-has-arrived-at-the-USPOLauren Roberts Cash gamer from Henderson takes down USPO NLH10khttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?18679-Lauren-Roberts-Cash-gamer-from-Henderson-takes-down-USPO-NLH10k&goto=newpost
Sun, 17 Feb 2019 01:59:29 GMTFirst major open title for a woman in awhile as Lauren Roberts middle aged female who considers herself a rec and primarily cash player who’s Hendon Mob total is under 500k lifetime just scored $216k her. It gets her biggest cash ever (at one point she was down to 7BBs at the FT).First major open title for a woman in awhile as Lauren Roberts middle aged female who considers herself a rec and primarily cash player who’s Hendon Mob total is under 500k lifetime just scored $216k her. It gets her biggest cash ever (at one point she was down to 7BBs at the FT).
]]>Poker Community Discussionftpjesushttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?18679-Lauren-Roberts-Cash-gamer-from-Henderson-takes-down-USPO-NLH10kLA Poker Classic at Commerce -- who is going (2019 edition)https://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?18663-LA-Poker-Classic-at-Commerce-who-is-going-(2019-edition)&goto=newpost
Tue, 12 Feb 2019 23:04:33 GMTIt's in the thick of things now down at Commerce. The buyins are going up at this point in the series.

Anyone planning to go?

Anyone gone yet and had any success?
]]>Poker Community DiscussionDan Druffhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?18663-LA-Poker-Classic-at-Commerce-who-is-going-(2019-edition)New Ignition Rewards Program HYPED as an Improvement CHEATS you on Conversion Rate and More!https://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?18662-New-Ignition-Rewards-Program-HYPED-as-an-Improvement-CHEATS-you-on-Conversion-Rate-and-More!&goto=newpost
Tue, 12 Feb 2019 17:47:16 GMTAs we all know who have played poker on Ignition or Bovada throughout the years their poker points rate is a joke. At one point a few years back it was equal to 3% in rakeback that could be used towards entering tournaments only but they sliced that in half to 1.5% for a few years.

For a week they were hyping up a new, improved rewards system that would be launching on February 11th (yesterday) and they ripped me off on a conversion rate of 30% less value of buying the tickets before in the points to ticket system. Not only that if you but if you buy poker tickets now it costs you double the amount now.

I'll use an example with $100 worth of poker points (20,000) I get converted on this new BS model to $70 worth in Ignition Miles (100,000 at their conversion rate) that I can turn around converting to cash with the catch of play some bullshit 10x rolllover casino games or the best I can get is a $30+3 ticket and a $3+.30 ticket for 99000 points.

So in other words I had $100 worth of poker tickets I could have converted to THREE $30+3 tickets prior to this change and now I can get one $30+3 with some crappy $3+.30 ticket ($99 versus $36.30) with a few points left over so you do the math.

Some new, improved program eh?

I called support and first guy was a little too nice claiming he's heard about this issue and will get back in touch in a few hours. Like the standard with many of these sites they never get back to you on time so I call up again after not hearing back and get some rude asshole on the phone who refused for 10 minutes to put me on with a supervisor. He claimed this was the first he heard of this problem but I could tell with his responses that isn't the case.

Finally the rude guy puts a supervisor on the phone and after I broke down the math conversion along with how they mislead people with their emails/tweets about this program being improved he basically told me sorry nothing we can do but we appreciate all feedback and always listen to make changes. Yeah right that is why your poker client still is from the stone age with horrible stability issues.

These guys are crooks and this is worse then the Pokerstars points program conversion right after Black Friday that many people have have left up to $10 on the table due the the amount minimums you could convert points to that they got to keep. I know they changed the rate later on and this was a rare case of an unplanned issue with the DOJ stepping in here so Ignition is way worse knowing they are cheating people with what they had, yet misleading us to believe we would at least see the same value , if not more.

I kept telling them I would have converted the points to tickets prior to this change but had faith they would at least be worth the same thing given the emails only to be cheated badly.

The example I use it's around there on the points I had but I know people who have tons more who are pissed. You just know the standard rec isn't going to give a damn here either just letting them take their points away because they aren't in the know.

Ignition no longer posts their phone number on the website and encourages people to do live chat but it still works. Bovada's phone number was taken off their website but put back on. I think Bovada cares a hell of a lot more to keep their phone number available due to the fact they have sports bettors who want to call in.

Ignition Phone #: 1-855-370-0600

Bovada Phone #: 1-888-263-0000

If you had a lot of points I suggest you look into this. The rate they gave me for Ignition Miles was 30% less in value compared to converting points to tickets prior to this change and the rate is nearly double to get tickets so in other words if you have $70 in miles you can use that for 10x rollover casino games hoping to clear it or you can buy around $36.30 worth of tickets based on my example.

A shady company already gets more shady. Hopefully their is a way to get someone with some pull to pick up on a story like this because that is ridiculous, especially when they sent out misleading emails/messages like this:

I thought I got an email prior and maybe I didn't go back far enough to find it or I deleted it but this was enough for me to believe the program would be at least comparable. Perhaps I shouldn't trust these fools based on history you can get me for that one but when something says new and improved you shouldn't think it would be this much worse.

Attached Images

]]>Poker Community DiscussionBeerAndPokerhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?18662-New-Ignition-Rewards-Program-HYPED-as-an-Improvement-CHEATS-you-on-Conversion-Rate-and-More!Ignition pokerhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?18610-Ignition-poker&goto=newpost
Thu, 31 Jan 2019 00:53:49 GMTI deposited money for the first time on Saturday night. I just wanted to play some tournaments. So they gave me a $100 signup bonus good only in the casino but the play thru requirement was 50x LOL. Waiting for a tournament I binked $100 playing in the casino. Went back to play poker and
My balance was zero. All I had left was the $100 bonus that can be used
Only In the casino on slots or table games. I opened up one of their slots, set
It to auto play and ran it up to $1300 before dropping down to $500 and meeting the play thru requirements.
Monday night I opened up a Let It Ride table. I was only betting $3 per hand. About the 5th hand
Dealt I hit a straight flush. It paid me 10% of
The progressive for $1600 and my three $3 bets paid 200-1 for another $1800.
Requested a cash out yesterday afternoon via bitcoin. Got a confirmation email this morning and 5
Minutes later it was transferred to my blockchain account. Very impressed at how easy and fast it was
To cash out.I deposited money for the first time on Saturday night. I just wanted to play some tournaments. So they gave me a $100 signup bonus good only in the casino but the play thru requirement was 50x LOL. Waiting for a tournament I binked $100 playing in the casino. Went back to play poker and
My balance was zero. All I had left was the $100 bonus that can be used
Only In the casino on slots or table games. I opened up one of their slots, set
It to auto play and ran it up to $1300 before dropping down to $500 and meeting the play thru requirements.

Monday night I opened up a Let It Ride table. I was only betting $3 per hand. About the 5th hand
Dealt I hit a straight flush. It paid me 10% of
The progressive for $1600 and my three $3 bets paid 200-1 for another $1800.

Requested a cash out yesterday afternoon via bitcoin. Got a confirmation email this morning and 5
Minutes later it was transferred to my blockchain account. Very impressed at how easy and fast it was
To cash out.
]]>Poker Community Discussionhutmasterhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?18610-Ignition-pokerhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?18592-Daniel-Negreanu-s-controversial-tweet-about-poker-player-types-he-hates-causes-backlash&goto=newpost
Mon, 28 Jan 2019 10:36:32 GMTLast week, Negreanu wrote a controversial tweet which said the following:

The Cliffs Notes of his response were basically a semi-mea-culpa that he was a bit too harsh, but he stood by his beliefs that:

- Winners are bad for poker because they win, and everyone wants to play with a bad player who they will beat

- Quiet players are bad for poker because they refuse to make conversation with recs, thus driving them away

- Nits are bad for poker, because nits are usually also angle-shooters (which isn't true)

- People who refuse to straddle when everyone else wants to straddle are bad for the game

I take issue with most of this.

Ever since he joined Pokerstars, he's been brainwashed into believing that winning grinders are bad for the game. This has long been Pokerstars owner Amaya's position, and he has since adopted it.

How does he resolve the fact that he is also a winner?

Because Daniel does more than win. He sees himself as an ambassador for the game -- one who has a lot of fans, interacts with them, and constantly draws new players in. Therefore, he isn't just a poker winner. He's an important figure in poker. If you just win, you're only taking from poker and not giving.

And that's the basic line of reasoning for the rest of his arguments.

Quiet players, nits, and non-straddlers all have one thing in common: They aren't making the game "fun" for the rec. And they're doing that stuff AND winning, then they're both taking money from the game AND not making things fun.

Shame, shame!

The fallacy in this argument comes from the fact that poker is an individual game. The pro grinder has no duty to make the game fun for people. In fact, many grinders lack the personality type to make the game fun, and would just come off as awkward and/or annoying if they tried. Others just find it to be a burden to constantly provide entertainment.

When you sit at a poker table, you have only a few duties to others:

1) Be courteous

2) Be honest

3) Don't impede gameplay

4) Take extra care not to anger the fish

That's it.

The rest is optional. Do you feel uncomfortable straddling? You might be a bit of a stick-in-the-mud, but it's your right. Do you just want to put on headphones and tune out the world? You may not be exciting company, but again, that's your right. Do you only want to get your money in really good, and also avoid playing in tough games? Again, that's your right.

The problem here is that Daniel writes this blog from the point of view of his own strengths.

He has an outgoing personality and enjoys interacting with people at the table, especially his fans.

He has enough money and natural gamble to where straddling and sidebets appeal to him.

So basically he's saying, "Be exactly like me, or you're bad for poker. Oh, unless you're a loser in the game. Then it's okay."

And that's bullshit.

There's one other big problem with his logic.

He says in his blog that a winning player will typically take money out of the game that could have gone to others, so therefore people don't want that player there.

That sounds correct on the surface, but it's not.

In a poker game where the best player leaves, the big beneficiary of his absence is the second-best poker player, not the fish! This is because there will still be a best and worst player at the table, and the worst player is still dead money if he stays long enough. Therefore, it's not a matter of whether he loses, but rather who is getting his money!

(This is also the reason for my favorite saying about game selection: "The absence of good players is far more important for game selection than the presence of bad ones.")

Sit me at a 6-handed table with 5 mediocre players, and I will crush it, barring really bad luck.

Sit me at a 6-handed table with 2 great players and 3 megafish, my results will be all over the place.

When one of those great players leave, I benefit big time, as one of the other pros. The fish are going to lose either way.

I'm not a Negreanu-hater like Doug Polk and so many others out there. He's done a lot of good for poker, and he's generally an honest character who has avoided major scandals for his entire career. However, blogs and tweets like these are cringeworthy, and he really needs to drop this silly war on grinders, before he continues to ruin his formerly great reputation even further.
]]>Poker Community DiscussionDan Druffhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?18592-Daniel-Negreanu-s-controversial-tweet-about-poker-player-types-he-hates-causes-backlashIs youtuber tilt real?https://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?18567-Is-youtuber-tilt-real&goto=newpost
Thu, 24 Jan 2019 02:42:40 GMTI’m so tired of watching youtubers lose a large amount of money and act like it no big deal. Watching their body language and voice it’s clear their on tilt and never admit it.I’m so tired of watching youtubers lose a large amount of money and act like it no big deal. Watching their body language and voice it’s clear their on tilt and never admit it.
]]>Poker Community DiscussionDrawingdeadhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?18567-Is-youtuber-tilt-realDOJ reverses 2011 favorable Wire Act opinionhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?18520-DOJ-reverses-2011-favorable-Wire-Act-opinion&goto=newpost
Mon, 14 Jan 2019 23:15:17 GMTLooks like the rumors were true, DOJ reverses 2011 favorable opinion
Now applies to all forms of gambling not just sports betting
https://www.onlinepokerreport.com/34391/doj-new-wire-act-opinion/Looks like the rumors were true, DOJ reverses 2011 favorable opinion

Now applies to all forms of gambling not just sports betting

https://www.onlinepokerreport.com/34...e-act-opinion/
]]>Poker Community Discussiongarretthttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?18520-DOJ-reverses-2011-favorable-Wire-Act-opinion2019 PCA Main Event - Chino Rheemhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?18514-2019-PCA-Main-Event-Chino-Rheem&goto=newpost
Sun, 13 Jan 2019 20:36:19 GMTChino Rheem is currently in 7th place on Day 2 of the 2019 PCA Main Event for the $10,300 buy-in.Chino Rheem is currently in 7th place on Day 2 of the 2019 PCA Main Event for the $10,300 buy-in.
]]>Poker Community DiscussionDonkCrusherhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?18514-2019-PCA-Main-Event-Chino-RheemBellagio dealer refuses tip from poker player Johnnie Morenohttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?18502-Bellagio-dealer-refuses-tip-from-poker-player-Johnnie-Moreno&goto=newpost
Fri, 11 Jan 2019 09:31:53 GMTVery odd story:
1083573514068578305
1083582859359604736
1083575786324410368
:whatVery odd story:

https://twitter.com/#!/x/status/1077050132238032897
]]>Poker Community DiscussionDan Druffhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?18427-WSOP-com-crashes-in-the-middle-of-a-tournament-nobody-gets-updated-as-to-the-statusbovada questionhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?18367-bovada-question&goto=newpost
Wed, 12 Dec 2018 04:05:08 GMTNow able to play bovada and ignition and bodog from ny. Do they share the same player pool? I only see 3 zones .25 .50 playing no other tables, whats the deal ?Now able to play bovada and ignition and bodog from ny. Do they share the same player pool? I only see 3 zones .25 .50 playing no other tables, whats the deal ?
]]>Poker Community DiscussionFRANKRIZZOhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?18367-bovada-questionBubbled final table of WSOP Circuit Event last nighthttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?18351-Bubbled-final-table-of-WSOP-Circuit-Event-last-night&goto=newpost
Sat, 08 Dec 2018 00:27:21 GMTI don't play many (or any) tournaments outside of the WSOP.

Anyway, there was a $330+$50+$20 O8 WSOP Circuit event at The Bike last night, and I decided to do it. Hard to find O8 tournaments nowadays.

Got seated next to Kessler, who was to my left. Kessler ended up arguing with several people at the table at various points.

I immediately started off well, and ran my 15k starting stack to 53k (keep in mind this was a LIMIT event), and was probably the chip leader.

90 people entered, meaning 9 spots paid. Oddly, had there been 91 entrants, 12 would have paid.

Obviously with 90 people in a $400 event, we weren't playing for big money. 9th place was just $945, and first was $9505. Still, I've never had a Circuit cash before, and I kinda wanted a ring. I think I've only played 2 Circuit events lifetime, and none in the 2010s.

The levels only last 30 minutes, and O8 can be a slow game because of all the split pots, so as you can imagine, the variance is high.

At one point, I seemed to be headed the wrong direction, as I stopped winning hands and fell to 24k, with about half the field left, putting me below average in chips. However, I recovered, and hung around average for awhile.

I did get short again later on, but doubled up.

I had Jc3c6dAh, and the flop was Qs5c4d. I check-raised the flop, and the turn was 9c. What I didn't realize was that my opponent had 9967, giving him middle set, even though I picked up a flush draw as well. Of course, I still had the 2nd low draw. Well, the turn was 2c, giving me both the flush and the nut low, and the guy (who had already angled Kessler and generally had a bad attitude) was furious and kept bitching about it for the rest of the tournament, as this brought him to a shortstack. LOL at playing 9967 from middle position though.

I went into the final 10 with 112k, where we combined to one table. There was one shortstack there. Average was 135k, so I wasn't too far off.

Unfortunately, I then ran into Q high flush over T high flush (I check/called the turn when it hit), and then a little bit later flopped a flush against the same guy while holding THREE clubs, only to find that, again, he also had a flush better than mine. On the second one, I did take the low, but I was really needing chips at that point and didn't get them.

Final hand I had 40k coming in. Six minutes left in the day, and I was on the BB (4k/8k). Nobody else was short anymore. If I survived, I would have to drive over 50 miles in LA traffic just to come back to play a shortstack on the bubble of a small event. Ugh. I started thinking if it was even worth doing, especially if I dropped another 12k or more from the blinds.

Dealt 8x9dTdJx. Limped multiple ways. I checked.

Flop J98 rainbow.

Well, this was it!

I bet, a guy who is usually on the passive side raised, and then a tight woman (Gina Hecht, who played Seinfeld's psychologist) 3-bet. Ugh. Super obvious she had QT, and a decent chance the other guy had QT, though it was possible he had a set or T7. Should I put the final 32k in, knowing I'm behind, and knowing I'm really drawing thin (or virtually dead) the guy has has a set?

After a brief moment of consideration, the decision was YES, I had to. Even thought I knew the woman had QT, I still had to, and that decision was weighted even more by my lack of desire to return the next day with a tiny stack. If the guy didn't have a set, then I was drawing live to any J, 9, or 8 (6 outs), plus chopping with any Q (3 outs).

So we went 5 bets on the flop, and I was all in.

Turn 6. river A. Turned out both had QT and neither had a low. And that was all, folks. The stone bubble boy.

Took 11 fucking hours to get there. This is why I hate tournaments, and this is also why I don't play small buyin events. Even when you do cash, you really need to finish at the top to make it worth the time and trouble.

I walked outside the Bike and it was raining, which was fitting. It wasn't even supposed to be raining anymore. LA was hit with a strange storm which was incorrectly forecasted to bring just 0.5 inches, but instead hung around for days and caused mudslides. It was supposed to be long gone by 2am last night, but there was just enough left to rain on me on the way out.

I promptly filled up my tank at a ghetto gas station, drove the 3 miles to Commerce, and sat in $100/$200 limit holdem, which was running shorthanded.

Promptly won $3075 from there, and then it broke. Moved to $40/$80 and won a few more hundred before quitting.

So I won like $3300 in a short time playing cash, which was better than 4th place money.

Fuck tournaments.
]]>Poker Community DiscussionDan Druffhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?18351-Bubbled-final-table-of-WSOP-Circuit-Event-last-nightRIP Thor Hansenhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?18338-RIP-Thor-Hansen&goto=newpost
Wed, 05 Dec 2018 10:20:44 GMTThor Hansen, also known as "The Godfather of Norwegian Poker", died yesterday. He was 71.

Hansen is credited with popularizing poker in Norway.

He had 2 bracelets, but none since 2002.

His death was not a surprise. He was diagnosed with terminal cancer earlier this year.

]]>Poker Community DiscussionDan Druffhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?18338-RIP-Thor-Hansenanyone checking out the launch of Seals With Clubs 3.0?https://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?18273-anyone-checking-out-the-launch-of-Seals-With-Clubs-3-0&goto=newpost
Wed, 21 Nov 2018 05:09:31 GMTthey seem to have relaunched with new software, and what seems (thus far) to be more activity on social media... any chance it can recapture some magic in the BTC poker world?
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5068812.0they seem to have relaunched with new software, and what seems (thus far) to be more activity on social media... any chance it can recapture some magic in the BTC poker world?

https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5068812.0
]]>Poker Community DiscussionWSPreadHeadhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?18273-anyone-checking-out-the-launch-of-Seals-With-Clubs-3-0Pokernews (iBus Media) sued by pretty much all major music companieshttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?18266-Pokernews-(iBus-Media)-sued-by-pretty-much-all-major-music-companies&goto=newpost
Mon, 19 Nov 2018 23:33:37 GMTStory's pretty simple. Pokernews use songs in their podcasts that they never bother to get rights for, allegedly. They were warned roughly 3 years ago to stop, and they didn't. Allegedly. The infringement seems to start around the mid to late 2000's, with hundreds of uses cited in the complaint.

Poker Community DiscussionCrowe Diddlyhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?18266-Pokernews-(iBus-Media)-sued-by-pretty-much-all-major-music-companiesNew Poker site running the same software as PFA has been slowly grinding up businesshttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?18144-New-Poker-site-running-the-same-software-as-PFA-has-been-slowly-grinding-up-business&goto=newpost
Wed, 17 Oct 2018 09:43:51 GMTIll be straight up.. I have zero skin in this site so if you go or don't go play I don't much care.. The site is using the latest version of Poker Mavens and I have to give them props they took what was there and ran with it .. The newest version allows for customized tables potentially for any cash table and also separate table graphics for regular and the FT in a tournament.. They've successful done what I had hoped to do and still would like to do.. So far there have been zero complaints for depositing or cashing out.. I do want to preface that I believe they are playing with fire using Paypal just like Global did as well as Zelle along with Cryptos and a few other options.. I also am somewhat sure they are running their site/server in PA which just legalized online poker meaning if they aren't careful they could be faced with a Micon type situation ala Sealswithclubs.. Anyway.. If youall want to check it out its Foxpokeronline.com You may have to go over to Facebook and contact one of their admins as apparently they are handling all deposits and cashouts manually (cashouts bTW are limited to 1X 7 Days I guess to avoid any suspicious activity flags). Again Its worth checking out .. I can at least vouch that the software is legit and its the same software server program used here on PFA and has for awhile..

I own the software and Ive yet to see anything majorly exploitable except that the potential for site run Bots is there with a known provider of them existing.. I don't have a problem so long as if a site is utilizing said software it make it clear it is doing so and that if being used to start cash games etc that they are labeled as such or at least the room is labeled as being one that prop bot players may be in.. That way the shit is above board.. Also its the only poker server software Im aware of that makes a simple RNG check utility that can sim 2M hands in rapid succession to check for variance within Standard Deviation as well as list hand outcomes for various seatings (break down of number of certain hands occurring etc)..
]]>Poker Community Discussionftpjesushttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?18144-New-Poker-site-running-the-same-software-as-PFA-has-been-slowly-grinding-up-businessNew Twitter scuffle featuring Lex Veldhius and Danny Negreanu over PS and the rakehttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?18134-New-Twitter-scuffle-featuring-Lex-Veldhius-and-Danny-Negreanu-over-PS-and-the-rake&goto=newpost
Mon, 15 Oct 2018 00:20:03 GMTNo they aren't fighting with each other that would be funnier.. Lex tweeted out about his recent meetings with Pokerstars which lead to a response from a follower in reference to the ongoing issue of the rake PS that also Tagged DNegs.. Subsequently Lex responded simply the person had a "unique" sense of humor.. It sorta snowballed from there with various people pipping up including DNegs..The hammer came down ironically when the original tweeter made a comment which was perfectly awesome that Lex and DNegs shilling about higher rake being better amounted to a direct conflict of interest because they were getting money from PS under contract thus any endorsements made about PS policies were obviously bias..

One of Dnegs nuthuggers pipped up essentially endorsing the asinine policy that it helped bring in new people.. When lets face it the only real purpose of the higher rake is for PS/Amaya to squeeze as much blood out of the stones of the players as possible.. Its not about fairness its not about creating a better environment its about the greed of PS being no different then the Big Casinos.. We want your money and we want to pretend were giving you a fair shot but truth is in the end we want all the deposits coming in and not having to give any money to anybody by making the rake unwinnable.. The idiot fish don't give a shit they expect to pay to play so to speak and lose their money as recs. (which obviously the Dneg Nuthugger was one of them)
]]>Poker Community Discussionftpjesushttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?18134-New-Twitter-scuffle-featuring-Lex-Veldhius-and-Danny-Negreanu-over-PS-and-the-rakeLongtime casino watchdog John Mehaffey claims the WSOP is making baseless legal threats against himhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?18066-Longtime-casino-watchdog-John-Mehaffey-claims-the-WSOP-is-making-baseless-legal-threats-against-him&goto=newpost
Fri, 28 Sep 2018 07:34:54 GMTVery interesting read: https://vegasadvantage.com/wsop-poke...-legal-threat/

John Mehaffey was known as "Pokeraddict" on 2+2 before changing his name there to simply "John Mehaffey".

He writes blogs and articles about casinos and Las Vegas, and tends to be fair and thorough when he does so. Occasionally his articles have sparked some controversy, but for the most part, he is well respected and not known as any kind of provocateur.

He has posted a few times over on this site, and I've always respected the guy.

The article complained about an experience John had there at the time, where he had deposited $400 cash at the Rio cage, played a fair amount on there for a few weeks, and attempted to cash out $411 ($11 profit plus his original $400). WSOP.com refused to let him cash out, stating that he hadn't played enough to cash out so soon -- which they're not allowed to do. Eventually WSOP.com dropped that angle and started making him jump through ridiculous hoops to "prove" the $400 deposit and a previous $25 deposit were legit. This was especially ridiculous because a cash deposit at the Rio cage clearly couldn't be fraudulent in any way!

He wrote the above-mentioned article about his experience, and shortly after that, received an e-mail telling him that his self-ban request was honored. When he replied that he never asked for a self ban, he was then told that he was actually banned for breaking their terms of service.

He attempted to report this to Nevada Gaming regulators in September 2017, but didn't follow up because of the October 1 Mandalay Bay massacre, and felt that he didn't want to cause a further distraction at the time.

In April 2018, John claims to have contacted Seth Palansky, VP of Corporate Communications at Caesars. Palansky has deep involvement in both the WSOP and WSOP.com. He appears to be on the same level as Jack Effel (WSOP tournament director), though his role tends to be more involving marketing and media. John claims that, while Seth was professional and polite in their April conversations, they also went nowhere. He claims that Seth justified the ban, and also stated that WSOP.com was very unhappy about his unflattering 2017 article.

I should stop and point out that I also had some customer service issues with WSOP.com (back when it first opened), and like John, I also published unflattering posts about my experiences. Seth Palansky e-mailed me at the time and stated he wanted to have a phone call with me about it, which we did. The call lasted about 45 minutes, and while Seth and I didn't see eye-to-eye about everything, the call was cordial, and Seth also gave me permission to discuss the call publicly (which I did). Admittedly, my issues were not as serious as the ones John faced, and they had mostly been resolved by the time I talked to Seth. But I stood by my criticism, even on the phone with Seth. I haven't played a lot on WSOP.com since then (it's fairly dead), so my interaction with them has been minimal.

Anyway, back to John's situation.

He e-mailed Seth that he would be taking the situation to gaming regulators. He claimed that it wouldn't be a formal complaint, but that he would be notifying them to basically force change going forward.

Palansky allegedly didn't take kindly to that, and according to John, Seth wrote this in response on August 6:

Quote:

Of course, you can take any course of action that you feel you must. We aren’t threatened by any of it. We will take actions from this point forward to prevent you from spreading misinformation about our company and will do what we feel is necessary, including refusing your service at all our land-based properties as well, in addition to pursuing legal action against you.

John reports that he has not been sued and not been banned, as of the date of his article (September 27).

John is also not backing down, and cites current "anti-SLAPP" laws which he claims are on his side.

Nevada does have anti-SLAPP laws in place, which punish plaintiffs for filing frivolous lawsuits meant to chill free speech. Anti-SLAPP legislation first came into existence in California, meant to provide ordinary defendants an easier way to defend themselves against well-heeled individuals or companies attempting to use the legal system to silence people. When an anti-SLAPP motion for dismissal is filed, the court determines (through various mechanisms) if the lawsuit appears to have been filed simply to intimidate someone from exercising their right to free speech. If it is determined that's the case, the lawsuit is dismissed, the plaintiff has to pay the defendant's legal fees, and sometimes other penalties are assessed. Mehaffey already has some recent history in activism in support of anti-SLAPP laws in Nevada.

How do I feel about this whole thing?

Looks to me that John Mehaffey is in the right. It appears that he reported the true and accurate circumstances of his illegally delayed cashout, and then was banned from WSOP.com for no apparent reason, after writing an article about that experience.

WSOP.com has been around for years now, and it's time for them to clean up their customer service issues.

Rather than get angry at John for sharing his substandard customer service experience with the public, they should have reached out to him, made the issue right, and issued an apology.

I will concede that I am only reading John's side of the story. It is possible that certain details were left out, or perhaps John's claims are exaggerated. However, I don't find this to be likely. John has a great reputation in the poker and gambling world, and he has never been known to be dishonest or grossly inaccurate.

I hope that WSOP.com sees the error in their ways, and issues an apology to John about this entire mess.
]]>Poker Community DiscussionDan Druffhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?18066-Longtime-casino-watchdog-John-Mehaffey-claims-the-WSOP-is-making-baseless-legal-threats-against-himAdam Schwartz and Terrence Chan have a new podcast showhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?17938-Adam-Schwartz-and-Terrence-Chan-have-a-new-podcast-show&goto=newpost
Tue, 04 Sep 2018 05:53:07 GMThttp://datpodcast.libsyn.com/http://datpodcast.libsyn.com/
]]>Poker Community DiscussionMatt The Rathttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?17938-Adam-Schwartz-and-Terrence-Chan-have-a-new-podcast-showRIP 2+2 Pokercast :(https://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?17755-RIP-2-2-Pokercast-(&goto=newpost
Mon, 06 Aug 2018 00:58:56 GMTPretty bummed, it was a great podcast.
This should bump up PFA Radio a tier though...
I hope this thread doesn't get Druff sued.

]]>Poker Community Discussionduped_samaritanhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?17755-RIP-2-2-Pokercast-(Biggest ever LATB pothttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?17752-Biggest-ever-LATB-pot&goto=newpost
Sun, 05 Aug 2018 17:13:51 GMThttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GuInczR8FpQ
]]>Poker Community DiscussionMrTicklehttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?17752-Biggest-ever-LATB-potBoring 2018 main event with lol slow roll on final hanhhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?17704-Boring-2018-main-event-with-lol-slow-roll-on-final-hanh&goto=newpost
Thu, 26 Jul 2018 02:25:28 GMTWasted 2 minutes of my life with that ridiculous slow roll. Saw the readers digest condensed version, don't think I missed out too much. Watched about 6 hours in all. Lot of rec players.
]]>Poker Community DiscussionFRANKRIZZOhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?17704-Boring-2018-main-event-with-lol-slow-roll-on-final-hanhcatskills resort and casinohttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?17702-catskills-resort-and-casino&goto=newpost
Wed, 25 Jul 2018 19:06:25 GMTNew York finally has live poker in the catskils. Has anyone played? Would really appreciate trip report.New York finally has live poker in the catskils. Has anyone played? Would really appreciate trip report.
]]>Poker Community DiscussionFRANKRIZZOhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?17702-catskills-resort-and-casinoCard Player POY still a jokehttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?17681-Card-Player-POY-still-a-joke&goto=newpost
Fri, 20 Jul 2018 01:50:05 GMTYears after mistakenly awarding Druff WSOP POY, CardPlayers POY system has Justin Bonomo, arguably having the best year in the history of the game, in second place after his One Drop win.

Chidwick, who entered the tournament after busting from the $1 million buy-in Big One For One Drop, finished fourth for $177,091. The 29-year-old has now made an astounding 18 final tables in 2018, winning four titles and more than $7.3 million. As a result of this finish, Chidwick has now surpassed Justin Bonomo for the lead in the Card Player Player of the Year race, even considering Bonomo’s recent win.

In 2018, Justin Bonomo has now cashed for $24,945,435. That alone would be good enough to come in 8th on the All-Time Money List, surpassing Bryn Kenney and John Juanda but just under Dan Smith who owes his position in the Top 10 to this very same 2018 Big One for One Drop.

Bonomo has, so far, posed for ten winner photos, with one runner-up position, two 3rd-place finishes, three 4th-place finishes, two 5th's, and an 8th and 9th place finish.
]]>Poker Community DiscussionCall_Stationhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?17681-Card-Player-POY-still-a-jokehttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?17678-Horrible-ruling-at-One-Drop-brings-scrutiny-to-quot-I-thought-I-saw-this-card-exposed-quot-ruling&goto=newpost
Thu, 19 Jul 2018 16:53:56 GMTThere was a big 3-way all-in at the $1,000,000 Buy In WSOP One Drop event, involving Byron Kaverman, Fedor Holz, and Rick Salomon. Table was 5-handed at the time.

With 5 players left in the event, a short-stacked Kaverman shoved with A5 clubs Fedor called with TT. Then Salomon found he had AK hearts, but accidentally exposed the ace of hearts while looking at his hand.

The problem was that the exposure was fairly quick, and wasn't super-obvious. Salomon went all-in himself. Fedor was closing the action. No one was going to act behind, and there would be no postflop play. The other two players at the table were out of the hand.

Fedor said that he saw the ace of hearts in Salomon's hand.

Jack Effel, WSOP tournament director, made the peculiar decision to check Salomon's cards and exposed the ace of hearts when indeed that's what he had.

Fedor made the call, and ended up scoring a double-knockout despite the AK2 flop, when a T landed on the river.

The reason this decision was so bad was that nobody was left to act besides Fedor. If Fedor thought he saw an ace of hearts, he was welcome to factor that into his decision to fold or call the double-all-in, but there was no way this should have been verified for him.

Furthermore, since it was a double-all-in, Rick's cards would have been exposed anyway once Fedor was done acting. Therefore, exposing it before Fedor finished acting only served to give him more info. Even if Byron Kaverman had seen the ace of hearts clearly, he would have seen it AFTER he went all-in, thus it did not affect his decision.

In addition, people were a little bothered that Salomon exposed the ace in the first place. Was he trying to help Fedor in some way? Induce/discourage action? Poker pro DJ Mackinnon demanded answers, but he had to get them from Seth Palansky, because Effel has quit Twitter.

Of course, this logic is flawed because there was no reason to expose the card at this point with ONLY Fedor left to act, since Fedor was the only one acting after Salomon. No matter what Fedor thought he saw, there's no way it affected anyone else, as they had all acted BEFORE the exposure.

Several players pointed out that this ruling could set a very bad precedent for angle-shooting. If someone goes all-in and you're facing a decision, you can take a guess as to which cards you think they might have, and then claim you "might have seen" one of of them. Taking a very simply example, say I have KK in the first round of a $1500 NL event, where everyone is deep compared to the blinds. I get in a raising war with an opponent, who goes all-in. Obviously I'm happy to run out the KK against everything except AA. Before calling, I simply say, "Hey, I thought I saw him flash an ace. Can the floor verify and expose the ace if I saw the flash correctly?" If the floor does that and exposes an ace for me, then I know there's a good chance he has aces, and can lay it down. If the floor says, "No ace, you saw it wrong", then I know for sure I have him crushed (or at worst he has the other KK), and I snap call! Horrible!

Sadly, the WSOP doesn't want to admit they simply made a mistake with this ruling.

However, believe it or not, Effel technically followed the posted tournament rules with his decision.

Clearly there should have been an exception made here, given the circumstances. The WSOP tournament rules also grant the power to the floorman or tournament director to make rule exceptions when common sense dictates it's proper to do so. This was one of those times.
]]>Poker Community DiscussionDan Druffhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?17678-Horrible-ruling-at-One-Drop-brings-scrutiny-to-quot-I-thought-I-saw-this-card-exposed-quot-rulingAnyone here playing Merge?https://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?17666-Anyone-here-playing-Merge&goto=newpost
Tue, 17 Jul 2018 01:47:21 GMTWell first time I have played online poker in a long long time. Maybe 3 or more years. Can't remember. I stopped as I got tired of the jerks online and the amount of time was way too much. Seemed to just be trading $ and paying rake. I still don't have time, but needed a distraction today, so fired up merge poker for the first time. Have sports $, and am now into a 10 hour session. actually having a good time. no trash talking. Playing O PLO. seems like a lot of regulars, but they are throwing it around hard. I have been playing very tight since I haven't played for so long, seems to be working. These regs seem impatient and press too hard.
]]>Poker Community DiscussionCharhamhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?17666-Anyone-here-playing-MergePhil Ivey, preferential treatment?https://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?17665-Phil-Ivey-preferential-treatment&goto=newpost
Mon, 16 Jul 2018 22:12:07 GMTSurprised the poker community has not made more of this hand involving Phil Ivey. For reference, visit www.pokergo.com and check the day 4 coverage. Advance to 2:18.08 for the beginning of the hand.
A player moves all-in in early position with Ivey in the SB. Ivey is not paying attention and he is directed to act. He throws one 25k green chip in the pot and is informed there is an all-in in front of him. He quickly forfeited the chip and play went on. Ivey did not verbalize any action.
Should Ivey have been obligated to be all-in? Did the dealer and the other players let this go because it was Phil Ivey?
What Would Druff Do in this situation as the all-in player with QQ?Surprised the poker community has not made more of this hand involving Phil Ivey. For reference, visit www.pokergo.com and check the day 4 coverage. Advance to 2:18.08 for the beginning of the hand.

A player moves all-in in early position with Ivey in the SB. Ivey is not paying attention and he is directed to act. He throws one 25k green chip in the pot and is informed there is an all-in in front of him. He quickly forfeited the chip and play went on. Ivey did not verbalize any action.

Should Ivey have been obligated to be all-in? Did the dealer and the other players let this go because it was Phil Ivey?

What Would Druff Do in this situation as the all-in player with QQ?
]]>Poker Community DiscussionTake the Overhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?17665-Phil-Ivey-preferential-treatmentBovada to update its website, and make all poker games available on its mobile apphttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?17664-Bovada-to-update-its-website-and-make-all-poker-games-available-on-its-mobile-app&goto=newpost
Mon, 16 Jul 2018 20:57:15 GMTGenerally, when sites say they are going to "update" their website interface for customers, most of the times its "meh"

I will say, I found this nugget very interesting:

Quote:

PLAY POKER ON YOUR CELL
In case you haven’t heard, you can now play every game and tournament in our Poker Room direct from your phone. Whether it’s a quick game of Jackpot Sit & Go or the final table of the upcoming Super Millions Poker Open, you can hit the felt and play for some cash wherever you roam.

Before, just jackpot SNGs and its zoom poker cash games were available on the mobile offering. Now you can play all games on there, including MTTs and regular cash.

Also, there will be more security layers:

Quote:

We've added an extra layer of security to ensure that you're the only one who can withdraw your money. When you log into the new site for the first time, you'll be asked to provide us with four-digit security code. Make sure to remember your PIN because you'll need it whenever you want to withdraw or make changes to your Bovada account.

And just a note: From July 18th onwards, you’ll need to log in using your email address, instead of your account number.

]]>Poker Community DiscussionShizzmoneyhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?17664-Bovada-to-update-its-website-and-make-all-poker-games-available-on-its-mobile-appWhat is a Main Event Bracelet Worth?https://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?17607-What-is-a-Main-Event-Bracelet-Worth&goto=newpost
Mon, 09 Jul 2018 21:54:24 GMTIt’s you, me and a few real close confidants on our rail who were invited up to Druffs suite at the Rio. I just knocked out the third to last player in the main event of the WSOP. A 1 hour break started 5 minutes ago and we are basically dead even in chips. We are both guaranteed $5M as second place $$. At stake is the incremental $3.8M and the title of world champion, the bracelet, the endorsements, the invitations to private games, 30 minute interview with Todd on PFA Radio and all the other stuff that comes along with being world champion.
After dreaming for 5 minutes we come to our senses and realize exactly how much an additional $3.8M really is so we talk chop. We decide that there will only be a brokered chop and the result will be “fixed” once we leave the room.
How much extra in the chop should your or I get in the chop to be the one to walk away with the bracelet?
Derivative question: what if im 45 and you are 25? How does that factor if at allIt’s you, me and a few real close confidants on our rail who were invited up to Druffs suite at the Rio. I just knocked out the third to last player in the main event of the WSOP. A 1 hour break started 5 minutes ago and we are basically dead even in chips. We are both guaranteed $5M as second place $$. At stake is the incremental $3.8M and the title of world champion, the bracelet, the endorsements, the invitations to private games, 30 minute interview with Todd on PFA Radio and all the other stuff that comes along with being world champion.

After dreaming for 5 minutes we come to our senses and realize exactly how much an additional $3.8M really is so we talk chop. We decide that there will only be a brokered chop and the result will be “fixed” once we leave the room.

How much extra in the chop should your or I get in the chop to be the one to walk away with the bracelet?

Derivative question: what if im 45 and you are 25? How does that factor if at all
]]>Poker Community DiscussionDalyhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?17607-What-is-a-Main-Event-Bracelet-WorthVanessa Selbst melts down in Main Event Day 1, bluffs off all chips with J8 no draw, tilts on Twitter after people criticized ithttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?17590-Vanessa-Selbst-melts-down-in-Main-Event-Day-1-bluffs-off-all-chips-with-J8-no-draw-tilts-on-Twitter-after-people-criticized-it&goto=newpost
Fri, 06 Jul 2018 02:41:14 GMTRemember when Vanessa Selbst announced to the world that she was retiring from poker, in a move only to massage her own ego with praise from her fans, and then played in an event a short time later?

Well, "retired" Selbst is at it again. And look at this expert play on Day 1 in the deepest, slowest-moving tournament in the world (by a wide margin):

So she barrels super hard on a super-dry board, which I guess is a reasonable idea if you think your opponent missed, but once he calls your large raise, it's time to realize he actually has a good piece of it, and shut down, right? Especially because you have absolutely no hand and are drawing dead against top pair on the turn, right?

Wrong. She committed all of her chips, was called, and she was out.

She's actually done this once before in the Main, and even had a big stack at the time. That was a number of years ago.

But let's focus on today.

Not surprisingly, people on Twitter were criticizing her play.

Why?

Several reasons.

- She's been known to have a temper and berate people at the table.

- She is very outspoken on Twitter about her left-wing, SJW political views, but will block anyone who even slightly disagrees with her (even if done respectfully).

- She's extremely arrogant and rubs a lot of people the wrong way.

- She has zero self-awareness, and blames any negativity aimed at her on misogyny, homophobia, or jealousy.

- She is a prominent poker pro (former poker pro?), and played a hand really, really badly.

So this tweet from "Wretchy" (Dan Martin) apparently really got Vanessa hot under the collar:

Might as well quote these for posterity, because Vanessa is known to delete her tilt-tweets:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vanessa Selbst

wow pretty amazing how many genius keyboard warriors like @Wretchy there are in poker. I'll go back to my rich lifestyle indeed (that's an insult)? You know I got rich from poker, right? You maybe could too one day if you drastically improved your arrogance to skill ratio #butnah

Somehow she called him arrogant while displaying her own arrogance in the same tweet. Amazing!

You can click on that tweet to see the (mostly negative) response she got.

Just like in what world is it that people see a play they would never make from someone successful and the first thought is LOL IMMMA GO INSULT HER ON TWITTER BECAUSE SHE'S TERRIBLE AT POKER AND LIFE AND I AM AWESOME AND UNLUCKY AND SHE'S JUST SO LUCKY WAHHH

Don't you get it, guys? Republicans supposedly hate brown people, because Vanessa said so. Therefore, it's totally different and totally okay to berate them when they're trying to respond to your political tweets.

Continued next post...
]]>Poker Community DiscussionDan Druffhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?17590-Vanessa-Selbst-melts-down-in-Main-Event-Day-1-bluffs-off-all-chips-with-J8-no-draw-tilts-on-Twitter-after-people-criticized-it? from MrsIamGreekhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?17552-from-MrsIamGreek&goto=newpost
Sat, 30 Jun 2018 18:48:04 GMT"Is it a good or bad idea to let my table mates know I am freerolling the Main Event?" We would appreciate your thoughts.

You can still buy a piece until Monday 7/2 at 11:00.

https://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/sh...345#post781345
]]>Poker Community DiscussionIamGreekhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?17552-from-MrsIamGreekhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?17531-***OFFICIAL***-Buy-a-Piece-of-IamGreek-s-wife-in-2018-MAIN-EVENT-Thread-at-par&goto=newpost
Wed, 27 Jun 2018 15:17:41 GMTIn case anyone is interested in the ultimate long shot--My better half won the Pokergo giveaway of a seat to the main. We are willing to sell pieces up to 30%. You should know this is her 1st time in the main. She played the 1st ever monster stack and lasted to 10 minutes before end of day one. She finished 13th in a daily last year out of 1000+ field. She has won 4 bracelets in events at our local casino in Wendover NV and cashed in many others there. She won a tourney at Harrah's and placed 5th in a Caesar's tourney many years ago. So she isn't totally without experience. She is mostly an ABC player but loves to bluff. There is however a lot of gambool in her game. If the poker Gods smile on her this time there is no telling how well she does.

Please post your interest and escrow with Druff prior to 11:00 am 7/2 which is her start time.

Good Luck to all of us!!!!!!!!! Let's take this fucker down one-time!!!!!!!!!!!!!
]]>Poker Community DiscussionIamGreekhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?17531-***OFFICIAL***-Buy-a-Piece-of-IamGreek-s-wife-in-2018-MAIN-EVENT-Thread-at-parTraining app featuring Jeff Madsen and Melanie Weisnerhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?17502-Training-app-featuring-Jeff-Madsen-and-Melanie-Weisner&goto=newpost
Fri, 22 Jun 2018 00:44:58 GMTI hadn't seen this posted on PFA yet.

In that situation, Matt Glantz was blocked by WSOP Tournament Director Jack Effel, simply for offering constructive criticism of the WSOP.

Because Glantz is fairly high profile, this got a lot of attention, and tons of others came out with their own stories of Effel blocking them for flimsy/minor reasons. Indeed, at the time both myself and Brandon were blocked from the @WSOPTD Twitter account.

Two days later, Jack unblocked Matt and agreed to unblock anyone else he had blocked in the past. I was unblocked shortly after that, which I requested from a different account so he would see it.

However, check out the @WSOPTD account, and you'll see it hasn't tweeted since December 2017. In fact, it has only tweeted ONCE since July 22, 2017.

Why?

I got my answer on June 3 of this year.

"I've quit Twitter," said Jack to one of the players at the $10k O8 event. "My life is so much less stressful. I just got off of it. It's been a great thing for me."

So you can no longer tweet to the WSOP tournament director, because he has left Twitter.
]]>Poker Community DiscussionDan Druffhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?17381-Jack-Effel-has-quit-TwitterHero call or give up?https://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?17379-Hero-call-or-give-up&goto=newpost
Wed, 06 Jun 2018 22:08:54 GMTSituation: Day 2 of the WSOP $1500 Big Blind Ante event. Already in the money, and the prizes move up fairly slowly at the moment. So if I bust, I'm getting like $100 over a mincash.

I have about 41k to start the hand, and blinds are 5k/1k/1k (remember, the final 1k is the ante).

I'm in seat 7. Seat 5 is occupied by Daniel Strelitz, a young pro who won the WPT last year for $1,000,000. He enters a ton of pots preflop, and seems to 3-bet pre liberally. However, I haven't yet seen him show down a hand worse than KQ, so perhaps he's also just getting a lot of quality hands. (My guess is a combination of both.)

I've been at the table for about 45 min, and I have the tight middle aged white guy image.

I keep wanting to 3-bet him, but don't want to do it with absolute garbage. Unfortunately, I'm dealt total trash after total trash, so I'm not 3-betting him.

I did play two pots with him from the BB to his button raise. One I attempted a turn bluff after he checked behind on a T high flop then a K hit turn, but he had AJ, called, and then we both checked river (I had J high). The other I had 78 on an A73AA board where the flop was 2 spades. He bet flop, I called, we both checked turn, and I bet river, and he folded after thinking.

So he did see I was capable of bluffing on the first hand.

Anyway, I had 41k and picked up 88. Strelitz opened to his usual 2300. I bumped it up to 5800. He called. He had a big stack coming in, like 130k or more.

Pot 14,100.

Flop came KT5 two spades.

He checked, I fired 8500. He called.

Turn Kc.

Pot 31,100.

I have 27k left. Obv it's either shove or check behind. I chose to check behind, and be done with the hand unless I improved.

River 7s, so now flush is possible.

He fired 11500.

If I call, I win 46,600 and go up to over 73k.

I figured the 11500 was the max he thought I'd call with if I had a pocket pair, and that I'd fold if he shoved or bet bigger. I figured a bluff would probably be a bigger bet, as he'd only be risking 15.5k more to really put my feet to the fire, and he already had a big stack entering the hand.

So I laid it down.

Against most opponents, this is a fairly obvious fold, but this guy was entering so many pots, I had to wonder if perhaps he had worse than 88.

Would any of you have found a hero call here?

Would any of you have shoved the turn and represented the king?
]]>Poker Community DiscussionDan Druffhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?17379-Hero-call-or-give-upPokerstars DD in Hong Konghttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?17259-Pokerstars-DD-in-Hong-Kong&goto=newpost
Wed, 23 May 2018 13:27:52 GMT

Quote:

The Stars Group frequently reviews commercial and regulatory developments around the world. Following such a review, we have taken the decision to withdraw the option of real money play for residents of Hong Kong from Wednesday, May 23. We’d like to assure you that your funds are - and will remain - protected and available for withdrawal. Some free to play services will continue to be offered.

Please remember to open any Stars Rewards Chests that you have received before any withdrawal so that any rewards inside can be converted to cash. Unfortunately, no compensation can be awarded for incomplete progress bars at the time of closure (on May 23). We also recommend that you spend your StarsCoin balance in the Rewards Store where we have made available a $1 Cash Rebate if you’d like to convert your StarsCoin to cash.*

Please note that any tickets or bonuses will be converted into their cash value within 48 hours of closure.

We apologise for any inconvenience caused and hope to be able to deliver real money poker to Hong Kong again in the future. For more on the withdrawal of real money games - including answers to questions you may have - please visit our*FAQ*page, or contact our*Support team.

Regards,
PokerStars

RIP poker in Asia. Macau probably likely to follow I'd imagine.
]]>Poker Community Discussionanonamoosehttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?17259-Pokerstars-DD-in-Hong-KongFaggotshttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?17186-Faggots&goto=newpost
Fri, 11 May 2018 15:13:11 GMTIs being gay +EV at the poker table? Does it put straight people on tilt? No homo.Is being gay +EV at the poker table? Does it put straight people on tilt? No homo.
]]>Poker Community DiscussionSetofKshttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?17186-FaggotsMiami John Cernuto playing $4/$8 limit holdem, witnesses bad beat jackpot failhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?17183-Miami-John-Cernuto-playing-4-8-limit-holdem-witnesses-bad-beat-jackpot-fail&goto=newpost
Fri, 11 May 2018 07:03:16 GMT

The idiot with the AAAA who couldn't keep his mouth shut, or the fact that Miami John, 3-time WSOP bracelet winner, is reduced to playing $4/$8 limit holdem.
]]>Poker Community DiscussionDan Druffhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?17183-Miami-John-Cernuto-playing-4-8-limit-holdem-witnesses-bad-beat-jackpot-failInteresting perspectives from a poker dealerhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?17079-Interesting-perspectives-from-a-poker-dealer&goto=newpost
Tue, 24 Apr 2018 16:30:36 GMTA poker dealer (whom I will not name, but I know personally) recently made an interesting Facebook post. It was in response to other dealers complaining about "downs" (half-hour shift at the table) where they made very little in tips.

There are some terms below which you may not understand, and I will explain further.

Quote:

I understand the frustration with shitty downs and stiffs. We can all laugh and joke about it. I'm relatively new to the business, having only started dealing in 2015. But I've been around mid-high stakes poker since 2003. This is still, unequivocally, the best (part time) job on the planet. And I've got A LOT of service industry/entertainment experience, from bartender to radio host to bouncer to strip club dj. The money we can make, working 6-8 hours a day, 3-4 days a week BLOWS the average working class American away. And we all (I include myself here sometimes too) have the AUDACITY to bitch way too much.

"The EDR sucks"
Name another industry (oustside of restaurants) where you get at least one free meal a day, plus basically unlimited snacks and drinks. I can't think of one.

"Tip compliance is killing me"
Might be true when you have a $4 down in a shitty game, but I don't see you rushing to withhold more when you spmebody tosses you a green bird on the high hand bonus. Or you push a big PLO pot and get 3 redbirds.

I get it; there are many aspects of the job that tend to suck and/or get frustrating. But they are all SHORT TERM. Long run evens out. Still the best part time (or full time, you lucky entitled whiners  ) job on the planet.

Some terms you may not know:

EDR: Employee Dining Room. Poker dealers have access to an "employee dining room" full of free snacks and drinks (usually a soda machine and bottled water). As the poster mentioned, dealers also are given one comped meal.

Tip compliance: For years, the IRS battled with Vegas casinos over dealer tips. The problem was that most dealers weren't reporting their tips accurately, and were stiffing the IRS on lots of taxes. This was somewhat solved by the pooling of tips (where the casino would report the exact amount distributed to each employee), but poker dealers are still the exception where they usually keep their own tips. In order to make sure that non-tip-pooled dealers paid their fair share in taxes, Nevada and the IRS struck a deal to where the casino would estimate the average tips received by the dealer, and the IRS would tax them at that rate, regardless of how much or how little they actually received.

So basically this guy was refuting a lot of the common dealer complaints. He said that poker dealers make far more money per hour than most people expect, that the EDR is a nice benefit which shouldn't be nitpicked or seen as a negative, and that tip compliance evens out (or even benefits the dealer) due to the sometimes-large tips they receive.

It was an interesting thread. Some dealers were acting very entitled and in fact discussed ways to passively aggressive punish tables with non-tippers (such as dealing/shuffling very slowly), while others were more positive like this guy.

Absent from all of the discussions, however, was the fact that the rake has been getting higher and higher over time, and professional poker players simply can't afford to tip as much as they used to.

I really wish tipping was just abolished at casinos, and dealers were simply paid a fair wage to compensate for it. But that will never happen. The funny thing is that casinos could totally afford to do this, as they've raised rake and the house edge in pit games, yet players are still paying most of dealer salaries.
]]>Poker Community DiscussionDan Druffhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?17079-Interesting-perspectives-from-a-poker-dealerChina banhammers poker apps as of June 1sthttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?17073-China-banhammers-poker-apps-as-of-June-1st&goto=newpost
Mon, 23 Apr 2018 21:20:21 GMT

Quote:

In what some call 'Chinese Black Friday,' the Chinese government has announced a crackdown on social poker games in the country. Starting June 1st, all apps offering poker in any form will be banned in China, and it will be prohibited to promote poker via social media channels. Google Play, the Apple App Store, the WeChat store, and other app stores will need to remove any apps related to poker, Asia-focused news sources confirm.

According to SoMuchPoker, the legal framework for this ordinance hasn't been published yet. The news site, dedicated primarily to the poker community living in the Asia Pacific region, added; "Additional clarifications or even changes are still possible until the enforcement of the ban."

OFFERING POKER IN ANY FORM WILL BE BANNED IN CHINA.

Inside Asian Gaming (Asgam.com) writes that Tencent, owner of the massively popular Asia orientated chat application WeChat and the ones running the Chinese expansion of the WSOP brand, has taken down its WSOP app.

Asgam also mentions that Ourgame, the Beijing based firm that bought the World Poker Tour in 2015 for $35 million, has released a statement announcing a close examination of the prospected crackdown.

“Now, with the alleged policy change, there will be no ‘play money’ poker in China, and you can’t talk about poker on social media. Chinese players won’t have a chance to practise, and they won’t get to know about legal poker events around Asia. Poker has gone back to square one in China,” Hong Kong Poker Players Association managing director Stephen Lai told the South China Morning Post.

https://www.pokernews.com/news/2018/...oker-30548.htm
]]>Poker Community DiscussionShizzmoneyhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?17073-China-banhammers-poker-apps-as-of-June-1stTournament Prize Pool with Re-Entrieshttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?17071-Tournament-Prize-Pool-with-Re-Entries&goto=newpost
Mon, 23 Apr 2018 16:02:33 GMTWhere should the money collected from re-entries be allocated? I witnessed a re-entry tournament with 150 runners. The top 15 spots were paid (top 10%). As the tournament progressed there were an 100 re-entries. Should this extra money be added to the 15 spots, or should the top 10% now be expanded to pay the top 25 spots and the re-entry money spread across the top 25?
Attachment 38579 (https://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=38579)Attachment 38580 (https://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=38580)Attachment 38581 (https://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=38581)Attachment 38582 (https://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=38582)Where should the money collected from re-entries be allocated? I witnessed a re-entry tournament with 150 runners. The top 15 spots were paid (top 10%). As the tournament progressed there were an 100 re-entries. Should this extra money be added to the 15 spots, or should the top 10% now be expanded to pay the top 25 spots and the re-entry money spread across the top 25?

Attached Images

]]>Poker Community Discussionalpha1243https://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?17071-Tournament-Prize-Pool-with-Re-EntriesBreaking news: Suncoast will close its poker room on Sunday, 4/22/18https://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?17048-Breaking-news-Suncoast-will-close-its-poker-room-on-Sunday-4-22-18&goto=newpost
Fri, 20 Apr 2018 05:44:26 GMTThis has not been announced anywhere.
Suncoast (Las Vegas) is closing its poker room on Sunday, April 22.
This has NOT been made public yet.
Developing...This has not been announced anywhere.

Suncoast (Las Vegas) is closing its poker room on Sunday, April 22.

This has NOT been made public yet.

Developing...
]]>Poker Community DiscussionDan Druffhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?17048-Breaking-news-Suncoast-will-close-its-poker-room-on-Sunday-4-22-18WSOP.com will probably be merging Nevada/Delaware and New Jersey player pools on May 1, 2018https://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?17024-WSOP-com-will-probably-be-merging-Nevada-Delaware-and-New-Jersey-player-pools-on-May-1-2018&goto=newpost
Tue, 17 Apr 2018 05:44:59 GMTPress release sent out today:

Quote:

LAS VEGAS (April 16, 2018) – WSOP.com and 888Poker have submitted for testing their new poker software to the regulatory bodies in Delaware, Nevada and New Jersey, with the goal of pooling players from all three U.S. states upon the anticipated approval by all jurisdictions – a major step for gaming operators in the U.S.

The linking of all three states is hopeful to go live on Tuesday, May 1 and would allow customers in Delaware, Nevada and New Jersey to play poker against each other, if final approval is granted from all jurisdictions. This shared-liquidity* gives way for larger prize pools, better game selection, wider time zone coverage and expanded tournament offerings.

The process has demonstrated that different regulations administered by multiple regulatory bodies can work proactively together to provide entertainment in a safe and secure environment for consumers. The protection of players and game integrity drove this collaboration which serves to benefit the players, states and operators.

“This has been a huge collaborative effort from all involved and it is important to thank the elected leadership and regulatory authorities in Delaware, Nevada and New Jersey for their dedication and diligence to help move online poker forward,” said WSOP.com’s Head of Online Poker Bill Rini. “Everyone has had the end user in mind throughout this process, and as a result, we believe the United States for the first time in a regulated environment, will have a large-scale multi-state offering that will propel the industry forward as soon as next month.”

During this process of pooling players from different states, WSOP.com and 888Poker have made a number of upgrades to the software that will enhance the user experience and keep players engaged.

"The DGE has been happy to be part of this process, and to see it implemented so expeditiously after the signing of the agreement is a testament to all of the parties involved,” said Robert Moncrief Jr., Deputy Chief of the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcements Technical Services Bureau. “We are pleased to see this long-sought multi-state poker agreement come to fruition. This will raise jackpots and provide even greater opportunities for play. It also paves the way for additional states to join and grow the regulated, legal online poker market.”

“The Delaware Lottery is very pleased to be able to offer Delaware’s online poker players this exciting opportunity to enhance their gaming experience,” said Vernon Kirk, director of the Delaware Lottery. “The Multistate Internet Gaming Agreement has proven to be a great vehicle for allowing its member states to take advantage of such cooperative efforts.

“The NGCB is pleased to be part of this collaborative effort between regulators, operators, and the platform manufacturer to achieve the common goal of providing a sound gaming experience for patrons across multiple jurisdictions while still meeting our individual jurisdictional requirements,” added Nevada Gaming Control Board chairwoman Becky Harris.

“Pooling poker players from three states will be a significant regulatory step in the US and is very exciting for our players and partners,” said Yaniv Sherman, 888 Senior Vice President and Head of Commercial Development. “The guidance and coordination provided by the regulators in the three states has been instrumental to the potential success of shared liquidity. If approved, we anticipate that this will open up further opportunities in other states.”

The timing works well for WSOP.com as it would come ahead of the 49th annual World Series of Poker in Las Vegas, set to begin on May 29.

This transition will require Delaware and Nevada consumers to download the new poker client and create a new account to be able to participate. This also means the existing Delaware and Nevada poker software will cease to operate after this process takes effect. New Jersey players with an existing account will be able to play without delay.

Once the process is complete, New Jersey WSOP.com players will be able to compete for official WSOP gold bracelets from their home state for the very first time. The first opportunity to do so should be the Sunday, June 3 $365 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em official gold bracelet event (Event #10) being held in Las Vegas as part of the 49th WSOP.

888’s proprietary technology powers 888Poker and WSOP.com and operates in all three states. 888Poker operates exclusively in Delaware for the Delaware Lottery; 888Poker and WSOP.com offer poker to the New Jersey public; and in Nevada, WSOP.com is the exclusive operator using 888’s platform.

For the past three years, the Delaware Lottery’s poker platform has shared liquidity with WSOP.com in Nevada. Customers in Delaware will be major beneficiaries when added to the New Jersey pool, as they will see even larger game selection and number of players.

Further updates will be provided as matters dictate.

This may actually be what the site needs to finally break out of its ghost town status.

We shall see if this is enough to spur some decent activity. Certainly it can't hurt.

Of course, the management of WSOP.com has been piss poor, but that's another matter entirely.
]]>Poker Community DiscussionDan Druffhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?17024-WSOP-com-will-probably-be-merging-Nevada-Delaware-and-New-Jersey-player-pools-on-May-1-2018The end of the poker facehttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?17011-The-end-of-the-poker-face&goto=newpost
Sun, 15 Apr 2018 16:46:11 GMTComing soon to a home game near you...
‘The end of the poker face’: New technology poised to read emotions (https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2018/04/15/world/science-health-world/end-poker-face-new-technology-poised-read-emotions/)Coming soon to a home game near you...

‘The end of the poker face’: New technology poised to read emotions
]]>Poker Community DiscussionRenohttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?17011-The-end-of-the-poker-facehttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?16957-Inside-the-Pages-of-TopPair-Poker-s-Premier-Poker-Magazine-about-Poker&goto=newpost
Mon, 09 Apr 2018 16:50:47 GMTSome of you have wondered where I've been lately. Well now I'm ready to discuss my secret project. As promised in my bid to be seeded in the PFA Spring Classic, I'm very pleased to present TopPair: Poker's Premier Poker Magazine about Poker.

Let's start with the cover, because let's face it - WOW!

First things first - this is TopPair magazine. All one word. The title says it all and it's going to be SEO-friendly as fuck. Go ahead and google "poker magazine" and if TopPair isn't the first result, I owe you half an HPT buy-in.

Next is our logo. It is a pair of aces. Pocket rockets. American Airlines. Aces Venturas. Rocky Mountain High. You know all the nicknames. This is a very good starting hand in No Limit Texas Hold Them. So it's a great logo.

The next thing that jumps out on this cover is that haggard-looking old man. We also have Doyle Brunson, a true legend of the game. We chose to include a tranny with giant tits on the cover because it's a "top pair" of breastages. Do you get the joke? Tits? A pair? A top pair of tits. TopPair magazine. Give us your money.

The date is a typo because there's no way poker was popular enough in 2005 to warrant yet another monthly poker magazine. But it's 2018 (13 years later!) and of course poker is huge right now. There simply aren't enough poker journalists available to fill all the vacant positions at all the poker magazines. People have a thirst for poker magazines that can't be quenched and starting a new magazine is a can't miss business proposition. But this magazine is different. It's TopPair magazine. One word, remember.

Also note that it's a "Collector's Edition." Buy this edition, put it in cellophane, lock it in a safe, throw away the fucking key, come back in 13 years time, blast the safe open with dynamite, and take this magazine to the nearest pawn shop. It will be worth at least 1000 bitcoins.

Now we have our headlines. There are interviews with Doyle Brunson and Jill Ann Spaulding (the tranny featured on the cover). Nobody knows who Jill Ann Spaulding is but she has a nice TopPair and she's being interviewed along with Texas Dolly himself. So you know it's going to be juicy! Maybe?

Then we have the headline, "Paris Hilton: The next poker celebrity?" That's rhetorical because the answer is obviously yes.

"Poker Angels: See inside." WHAT THE FUCK IS POKER ANGELS I MUST KNOW NOW!"

"David Williams: On break" from feet fucking.

And finally, Cyndy Violette and the spiritual side of poker. Okay, so that's filler that no one will read. But the rest? Good lord! How badly do you want to see inside?! It's TopPair magazine y'all!

I have listed to Poker Fraud Alert for 2 years on the TuneIn radio app and given the amount of information you all have i thought this would be a great place to ask the following question.

I am thinking of coming down to Las Vegas for a class on July 1st. It is a class that I have really wanted to attend but I haven't been able to as I have always been gone with the military. Anyways this year I will actually be home. The class wont cost me anything but I still have to pay for a flight and hotel rooms. The only way I can justify spending the money on it in my head is if there are some WSOP Main Event satellites going on. I don't have a ton of money to through around but I do have a poker bankroll. Do you know what kind and how many satellites will be going on June 30-July 1st? When I do search for WSOP satellites all I get are bunch of information about online tournaments. However, I know I have heard about in person satellites that go on daily before the Main Event and to me it would not make sense for there not to be a bunch of live satellites going on the weekend before the Main Event.

Also, on the chance that all of the satellites are above my bankroll do you think the cash games will be active enough to justify the trip?

I look forward to your comments and questions.

Thank You!

Puck
]]>Poker Community DiscussionPuck66https://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?16903-WSOP-satellites-Las-Vegas-trip-debatebest recourse If chips get stolen while your in the bathroom?https://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?16875-best-recourse-If-chips-get-stolen-while-your-in-the-bathroom&goto=newpost
Mon, 26 Mar 2018 22:24:27 GMTThis happened to some one I know recently. What is the best thing to do if someone steals a black chip or 2 when your in the restroom? Assuming they left promptly after.This happened to some one I know recently. What is the best thing to do if someone steals a black chip or 2 when your in the restroom? Assuming they left promptly after.
]]>Poker Community DiscussionBincshttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?16875-best-recourse-If-chips-get-stolen-while-your-in-the-bathroomBovada account missing money.https://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?16861-Bovada-account-missing-money&goto=newpost
Sat, 24 Mar 2018 02:43:07 GMTHaven't played there in a long time and pretty sure my balance was zero to start. With Bitcoin doing so lousy lately I transfer $300 from gdax (same owner as coinbase) to Bovada on Thursday. It shows up in like 15 minutes. So I play a little losing maybe $30-40. Today Friday I login and have only like $70. Know this was trouble and I had to email them, but I play a little .50/$1 NL and end up like $20 with $90.

Checking the account I don't see any deposit or withdrawal for the the past 31 days. and shows bonus funds $10 and withdrawable $80. I do see the money left my gdax account.

Now I emailed them, but don't know what to expect or if anyone has had similar issues. Is that bitcoin transfer not really finalized?
]]>Poker Community DiscussionJTJTJTJThttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?16861-Bovada-account-missing-moneyAnonymous tableshttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?16858-Anonymous-tables&goto=newpost
Fri, 23 Mar 2018 20:09:41 GMTIve been a big beliver that 3rd party software should be banned..

I also appreciate that when playing ring games that u cant "table select".
Thats the word bum hunters use..

It is a way the grinders bushwack the noobs and recs and give an even more advantage then they already have with there skill..
This is a fact and not debatable.

My question is with bovada/ignition.

Isnt it very frustrating not to be able even to make basic notes?!?!

At least global has a little pencil so that EVERYONE can at least make basic notes.. And i do keep records.

Im considering deposatong on ignition but isnt the constant anonomous tabkes very very very frustrating??
]]>Poker Community Discussionthespartenhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?16858-Anonymous-tablesBet online(bol)https://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?16856-Bet-online(bol)&goto=newpost
Fri, 23 Mar 2018 19:10:15 GMTJust realized bol also has a mobile version like ignition except they direct u to download An apk and now i have bol on my cell home screen..
Just thought that was cool especially living in new york.Just realized bol also has a mobile version like ignition except they direct u to download An apk and now i have bol on my cell home screen..

Just thought that was cool especially living in new york.
]]>Poker Community Discussionthespartenhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?16856-Bet-online(bol)Pokerstars rake increasehttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?16845-Pokerstars-rake-increase&goto=newpost
Thu, 22 Mar 2018 11:08:54 GMTPokerstars will increase rakes on all sit n go and mtt,s with a buy in of $20 or less..
It will not effect larger buy ins..Pokerstars will increase rakes on all sit n go and mtt,s with a buy in of $20 or less..

It will not effect larger buy ins..
]]>Poker Community Discussionthespartenhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?16845-Pokerstars-rake-increaseOld Full Tilt Pros make new poker sitehttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?16822-Old-Full-Tilt-Pros-make-new-poker-site&goto=newpost
Tue, 20 Mar 2018 01:45:40 GMTLots of old FT Pros.
Check out the new poker site: Breakout Poker (https://breakoutpoker.com/)
Twitter (https://twitter.com/BreakoutPoker)Lots of old FT Pros.

You have not logged into your account for the past 9 months and as a result, we will begin to implement our dormant account procedure on 14_Jun_2018. Until then, you are free to log into your account to prevent it from becoming dormant.

The twelve-month period triggering dormant status is calculated from the date you last logged into your WSOP.com account.

Once your WSOP.com account enters the dormant account period the account will be closed and we will charge a monthly administration fee of $4.99. The administration fee will be deducted from the dormant account balance once each month and will continue to be deducted until the balance of the account has reached zero.

Todd, should you want to re-activate your WSOP.com account after it has entered the dormant account period, please contact our support department at 1-866-745-2385 or send an email to support@wsop.com.

Once your account has been re-activated, we will stop charging the administration fee but will not be obligated to reimburse any past fees.

To review this and all our policies, please view our Terms & Conditions.

See you at the tables,

The WSOP.com Player Support Team

:what

Yeah, maybe my account wouldn't go dormant if you didn't run a failsite which is a perpetual ghost town.
]]>Poker Community DiscussionDan Druffhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?16797-WSOP-com-Nevada-charging-a-5-month-quot-dormant-account-quot-feePoker Stars Makes Winners Feel Good.https://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?16787-Poker-Stars-Makes-Winners-Feel-Good&goto=newpost
Thu, 15 Mar 2018 07:56:50 GMTI just won a $27 663 person tournament. What was cool is Pokerstars sent me an email with a link to a summary video they made of my key hands. Its only a 2 minute video but what a cool idea.

"Guarantee will not be offered for Event #1 with less than 25 entries; #8 - 200 entries"

That's bullshit.

A guarantee should be a guarantee. They are trying to limit their losses here.

This is the HPT Meadows, taking place starting tomorrow at Meadows Casino and Racetrack in Pittsburgh.

I believe this is legal, but I feel it's unethical, and ruins the entire concept of guarantees.
]]>Poker Community DiscussionDan Druffhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?16784-Heartland-Poker-Tour-to-put-minimum-number-of-players-on-quot-guarantee-quotAria Private Games Twitterhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?16737-Aria-Private-Games-Twitter&goto=newpost
Sat, 10 Mar 2018 17:26:35 GMTWorth the follow.

If it's someone from here who has the account PM me. I'll donate $100 to the freeroll in your honor.

Attached Images

]]>Poker Community DiscussionDalyhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?16737-Aria-Private-Games-TwitterAcr apphttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?16691-Acr-app&goto=newpost
Fri, 02 Mar 2018 18:45:45 GMTJust logged in to my acr account for kicks..
My account was given an extra $30.. Dont know why. Maybe money back from a cought cheater.. Lol
They are on mobil now... So im burning through the $30 on jackpot poker.
I always wanted to like acr and they do have potential but its just too dam reg and bot infested and recs need not apply to that overwhelming envirmoent that only caters to the most hard-core.
Between the huds and bots and seat scripters and rake back and collusion and mucked cards and the nit poker structures, U GOTTA BE AN IDIOT TOO PLAY THERE but the mobile app was nice and the jackpot sit n go 2.0 is fun.Just logged in to my acr account for kicks..

My account was given an extra $30.. Dont know why. Maybe money back from a cought cheater.. Lol

They are on mobil now... So im burning through the $30 on jackpot poker.

I always wanted to like acr and they do have potential but its just too dam reg and bot infested and recs need not apply to that overwhelming envirmoent that only caters to the most hard-core.

Between the huds and bots and seat scripters and rake back and collusion and mucked cards and the nit poker structures, U GOTTA BE AN IDIOT TOO PLAY THERE but the mobile app was nice and the jackpot sit n go 2.0 is fun.
]]>Poker Community Discussionthespartenhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?16691-Acr-appACR contacting me because deposit was declinedhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?16681-ACR-contacting-me-because-deposit-was-declined&goto=newpost
Thu, 01 Mar 2018 22:34:53 GMTI just deposited on ACR last night 150$. Lost it no big deal, they contact me by email today saying my visa will not approve their transaction and recommending other ways to deposit. I’m going to pay them but I started thinking.
What if I just stiff Acr?
Can they sue me here in the states?
What real legal action could they take against me?
I’ve never had a problem with my deposits so I’ve never really thought about it.I just deposited on ACR last night 150$. Lost it no big deal, they contact me by email today saying my visa will not approve their transaction and recommending other ways to deposit. I’m going to pay them but I started thinking.

What if I just stiff Acr?
Can they sue me here in the states?
What real legal action could they take against me?

I’ve never had a problem with my deposits so I’ve never really thought about it.
]]>Poker Community DiscussionDrawingdeadhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?16681-ACR-contacting-me-because-deposit-was-declinedPokerStars owner buys majority share in CrownBethttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?16670-PokerStars-owner-buys-majority-share-in-CrownBet&goto=newpost
Wed, 28 Feb 2018 06:44:40 GMTHere is a link about Stars buying Crownbet in Australia. Crownbet is connected with the Crown Casio group - but that my be finished now.
Crownbet are just another corporate bookmaker in Australia that knock back the sharps to bear minimum and allow the dopes to bet up.
An introduction of a consumption tax may be introduced soon here and recent laws prohibiting any company to give credit is going to kill of some lesser bookmakers.
https://www.punters.com.au/news/pokerstars-owner-buys-majority-share-in-crownbet_166656/Here is a link about Stars buying Crownbet in Australia. Crownbet is connected with the Crown Casio group - but that my be finished now.

Crownbet are just another corporate bookmaker in Australia that knock back the sharps to bear minimum and allow the dopes to bet up.

An introduction of a consumption tax may be introduced soon here and recent laws prohibiting any company to give credit is going to kill of some lesser bookmakers.

https://www.punters.com.au/news/poke...ownbet_166656/
]]>Poker Community DiscussionI am Cookiehttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?16670-PokerStars-owner-buys-majority-share-in-CrownBetNo-limit bubble strategyhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?16655-No-limit-bubble-strategy&goto=newpost
Fri, 23 Feb 2018 04:51:20 GMTI've been having a tough go at finishing out tournaments lately and have been busting out on the bubble pretty much regularly. The best strategy I've ever seen discussed was attacking the middle stacks since they have the most to lose. Any thoughts or insights?! I play $50 sng's and up.
]]>Poker Community Discussionjacosta24https://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?16655-No-limit-bubble-strategyGood articles about early online poker by Nolan Dallahttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?16652-Good-articles-about-early-online-poker-by-Nolan-Dalla&goto=newpost
Fri, 23 Feb 2018 00:37:29 GMTNolan is a very entertaining and engaging writer, so it's always fun to read his stuff.

There are a few omissions and factual mistakes, though (which is understandable, since it's been so long):

- Party Poker started in August 2001, not 2002. I actually heard of it for the first time when I was in Vegas in August 2001, when I spent a weekend with a girl I had gotten to know through another site (True Poker). She told me about it, and asked if I had heard of it.

- The man he met at Party was Vikrant Bhargava, not Anurag Dikshit. Vikrant was the marketing guy, and directly interfaced with players and others who were interested in promoting Party. Anurag wasn't known to the public until years later. Vikrant sometimes called me and asked for my opinion of the site.

(The above two points, which I meant to raise earlier to Nolan, were also made by Mike O'Malley, who worked with Party from the start.)

- The reason for Planet Poker's demise was a bad software update they pushed in mid-2001, which made it impossible to connect to the server. Most people simply assumed it was down for good, and gave up. The only fix was to uninstall the new software and reinstall it from the website, and this only worked days after the failed update (so people trying this at the time it occurred also couldn't get in!) The site immediately became a ghost town after this.

- Paradise Poker's demise was due to idiotic complacency. They were the clear market leader in 2001, followed by True Poker (a site Nolan doesn't mention). However, Paradise's software was buggy and had issues on certain computers (especially older ones), and they invested zero money in marketing or expansion. Party, on the other hand, was very aggressive with marketing, and was the first to offer an affiliate program (hence the birth of rakeback). They quickly lost market share to Party in 2002, which rapidly overtook them as #1. They still didn't market much or offer meaningful promotions. Then Pokerstars came along later in 2002, and really started to gain steam in 2003. They were offering MTTs, and also had the best software by far. Paradise became a ghost town. Cautionary tale about sitting on your hands and doing nothing when you're sitting at the top, and other hungry competitors are knocking at your door.
]]>Poker Community DiscussionDan Druffhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?16652-Good-articles-about-early-online-poker-by-Nolan-DallaPoker Stars had their $10 Million 12th anniversary of the Sunday Million on Superbowl Sundayhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?16565-Poker-Stars-had-their-10-Million-12th-anniversary-of-the-Sunday-Million-on-Superbowl-Sunday&goto=newpost
Tue, 06 Feb 2018 08:12:58 GMTIf you played and cashed good for you. Poker Stars had to pony up 1.2 million for the overlay. 44k people played.
Do you think having it on super bowl Sunday was a good idea....LOL
https://www.highstakesdb.com/8488-sunday-million-12th-anniversary-overlaps-with-super-bowl-misses-guarantee.aspxIf you played and cashed good for you. Poker Stars had to pony up 1.2 million for the overlay. 44k people played.

Do you think having it on super bowl Sunday was a good idea....LOL

https://www.highstakesdb.com/8488-su...guarantee.aspx
]]>Poker Community DiscussionMatt The Rathttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?16565-Poker-Stars-had-their-10-Million-12th-anniversary-of-the-Sunday-Million-on-Superbowl-SundayBest online poker sitehttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?16498-Best-online-poker-site&goto=newpost
Thu, 25 Jan 2018 06:01:02 GMTHello I am looking to play some online poker again. Whats the best site these days for small stakes tournaments and plo.
Thanks!Hello I am looking to play some online poker again. Whats the best site these days for small stakes tournaments and plo.

Thanks!
]]>Poker Community DiscussionG0lferhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?16498-Best-online-poker-siteLA Poker Classic at Commerce -- who is going?https://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?16475-LA-Poker-Classic-at-Commerce-who-is-going&goto=newpost
Sat, 20 Jan 2018 05:23:07 GMTWho is considering or planning to go to Commerce for the LAPC?

No longer can you berate opponents for bad-beating you, nor can you drop your own witty retorts when others bash you.

I'm no stranger to the chat box. Who could forget my relentless trolling of opponents on Pokerstars, Interpoker, and Absolute Poker? In 2001, I actually had sex thanks to the chat box on True Poker. I feel like I need to mourn for this death.

The chat box still exists, but you can no longer type your own words. Instead, you can only select from the following messages:

You can also from pick 6 emoji faces if you wish to use those instead of the above phrases.

Lame.

I assume they did this in order to prevent fish from being berated.

But this is yet another step toward removing what was good about online poker, and turning it into a generic, by-the-numbers exercise.

I have to imagine this will bother fish the most, as they tend to be the most chatty. Shit-talking back and forth is often what keeps the fish playing.
]]>Poker Community DiscussionDan Druffhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?16456-Chat-box-on-Ignition-replaced-with-stupid-generic-message-menuNew coin pokerhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?16440-New-coin-poker&goto=newpost
Sun, 14 Jan 2018 07:16:56 GMTI seen the thread on 2+2.
Can someone please post a link.. It seems interesting.I seen the thread on 2+2.

I’m writing to say that I’m officially parting ways with PokerStars and moving on from my career as a professional poker player. Poker has given me so much over the last 12 years. It has been intellectually challenging, exhilarating, fun, and extremely rewarding. It has given me the opportunity to travel to places I might never have experienced, and forge friendships with people from all over the world. Speaking of those people, those whom I’ve met through the poker world (players and industry people alike) are some of the most dynamic, creative, out-of-the-box thinkers and all around passionate people that I know.

Many people will ask why I’m leaving – there’s no one specific reason, but just a number of factors, big and small, that contributed to a general feeling I’ve had for a while that it was the right time. The most obvious reason is that Black Friday has meant that in order to do this job professionally, you either had to move out of the country or travel 90% of the time. That was really fun for a period of time in my life, but as my late 20s turned into my early 30s and my priorities changed toward building a stable home and community and starting a family, the constant travel is no longer tenable. Secondly, I don’t feel good about promoting poker as an ambassador anymore (I can’t tell amateurs they should come play online and it’s beatable for them when I don’t feel like it’s true). Lastly, whether because poker got more competitive or because we got older (or likely some combination of the two), poker recently turned into a real job, requiring hard work and discipline to succeed. I had never treated the game that way–I always kept a very light poker schedule–I showed up and played for fun and did other projects back home as my “real work.” The shift in the nature of poker and what it requires put me at a crossroads and asked the question of me whether I would rather change my relationship to the game or move on. To me, the opportunity to work hard and learn something totally new and get to keep poker in my arsenal of fun go-to hobbies feels like the right approach.

My next career I’m giving a shot is at a hedge fund. I’m doing trading research and strategy. I’ve actually already been there for almost four months now, and the environment feels a lot like poker did back in the day – a bunch of nerdy kids collaborating to try to beat our opponents at a game. It’s also really freaking difficult… there’s so much to learn and figure out in a world that’s completely new to me and every day I think I’m getting the hang of it, the next day I fail at the next challenge. It’s exhausting, exciting, and completely humbling every single day. Plus, I’m following in my mother’s footsteps (she was an options trader turned lawyer and recreational poker player), which would have upset the hell out of me ten years ago, but makes me really happy now.

I don’t know if the hedge fund thing will work out. For the year before I started my current job, I was working part time at a police misconduct plaintiffs’ law firm, and I started out liking it but in the end it didn’t really suit me (no pun intended). It’s pretty difficult to find the next thing when your first career was so much damned fun! Anyway, whatever happens with my next career, I know that I’ll never truly stop playing poker (just ask Fedor Holz what happens when you retire)! Seriously though, I will always love the game and the people in it and I’m so thankful for everyone I’ve met and everything I’ve experienced. So with that, so long, and thanks for all the fish!

If you click the Facebook link at the top, you can see about 20 photos she selected from her poker career over the years.

As always, though, there's more to the story than meets the eye.

While it would seem plausible that an intelligent woman such as Vanessa might be interested in moving on to other pursuits -- especially ones which don't require extensive travel like tournament poker does -- you always need to look beneath the pretty statement for the truth.

Vanessa Selbst had a very prolific and successful tournament career. She's 41st all-time in total value of cashes (not winnings, mind you, but cashes). She's 25th all-time in the US. She's #1 all time of females. In total, she cashed $11.8 million.

However, she was entering a LOT of big buyin events, and spent many millions in tournament entry fees. Did she spent $11.8 million? Probably not, but it's very possible she spent close to that.

Vanessa was only a tournament player, for the most part. Aside from some televised appearances, she didn't really play cash, to my knowledge. That's part of her stated reason for quitting -- she's tired of the travel.

But let's take a look at her recent results.

In 2016, she cashed just $115k.

In 2017, she cashed a shockingly low $8k.

Prior to that, she cashed $839k to $2.86 million for 6 consecutive years, from 2010-2015.

It's safe to say she lost money over the past two years, especially 2017.

Pokerstars was likely putting her in to some of the events she played, and I wouldn't be surprised if she also had backers.

However, Vanessa seems to have been mostly airballing it for the past 2 years, and I'm guessing that she decided poker is too damn hard nowadays, and she's done. Keep in mind she hasn't finished better than 9th since 2015, aside from one 5th place finish ($1372) in a small-field, $200 entry tournament to memorialize Chad Brown.

If you read between the lines in her message, where she discusses how much more difficult poker has become, you can see that she's really quitting because she has decided she can no longer beat the game -- or at least she's having enough doubts to where she wants to try her hand at something else.

Now, none of this is anything to be ashamed of. It's far more admirable to walk away when you see things starting to go south, rather than to stay around and go busto like so many other once-successful tourney pros.

However, I can't praise Vanessa because I don't like her as a human being.

A number of people responded with agreement to this, with only one (Andrew Barber) raising issue with it.

Vanessa was one of those SJW liberals who always had a strong (and often obnoxiously-stated) political/social opinion, but she wouldn't allow any sort of debate.

If you dared disagree with her -- even politely -- she blocked you.

That happened to me, and it happened to lots of others I know.

I find it extremely hypocritical to be a Twitter provocateur, and then acting hypersensitive to any slightly critical responses to such provocations.

I also felt that Vanessa exploited the "angry butch lesbian" stereotype, and felt it gave her a license to often outwardly display aggressive, brusque behavior toward others in poker -- both in person and on social media.

For example, in 2008, while playing heads up at a PCA tournament with Dustin "neverwin" Woolf, she got nasty with him when he correctly called a bluff she made. When a minor war of words subsequently ensued, Vanessa threatened to beat him up at one point (lol) because he "insulted her in front of her girlfriend". Here's a 2+2 post I made about it in 2008, when Vanessa was going to appear on their Pokercast: https://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/s...3&postcount=11

Vanessa even appeared on that animated "Micros" series in a cameo, poking fun a her own bad temper.

I initially respected Vanessa because she was one of the voices against shady poker sites -- even after she blew up and became poker famous. However, as I learned more about her, and watched her poor/hypocritical behavior on social media, I thought much less of her.

As I said in my tweet, good riddance.
]]>Poker Community DiscussionDan Druffhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?16375-Vanessa-Selbst-quitting-as-Pokerstars-pro-retiring-from-pokerhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?16373-Christian-Lusardi-is-really-out-of-prison-this-time-(OK-only-quot-half-quot-out)&goto=newpost
Fri, 05 Jan 2018 02:18:42 GMTAbout a year ago, I incorrectly posted on this forum that infamous chip flusher, Christian Lusardi,

had been released from prison early, after serving only approx. 6 months.

I was wrong, or rather, I took the info I had found too literally: he was released, however, it was only that he was released from a state prison facility. He was scheduled to be (and seems to have been) transferred to a federal prison in 2016.

FAST FORWARD 1 YEAR AFTER MY POST:
According to a record search on the Bureau of Prisons, Christian Lusardi is actually no longer behind real bars:

...he's located at the Philadelphia RRM. An RRM is a "Residential Reentry Management facility", aka the term used by the U.S. Bureau of Prisons for a halfway house.

Since he was sentenced in Oct, 2015, and assuming he's been out of the slammer for a few months...that's only around 2 years time in a real lockup. FOR THIS:

- Chip flushing that caused a HUGE headache for participants in that tourney and the staff/casino as well. A real disaster.
- Selling thousands of pirated DVDs

He's scheduled to be released from the halfway house in about 6 months as well. Pretty easy sentence for that crime in the end.

DISCLAIMER: I am only posting what you can find yourself at the Bureau of Prisons website. If I've somehow screwed this up again, and he is still in lockup, my apologies in advance.

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]]>Poker Community DiscussionForum Warshttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?16373-Christian-Lusardi-is-really-out-of-prison-this-time-(OK-only-quot-half-quot-out)When a tournament substitutes a prize for cash out of the prizepool, is it ethical?https://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?16251-When-a-tournament-substitutes-a-prize-for-cash-out-of-the-prizepool-is-it-ethical&goto=newpost
Sun, 17 Dec 2017 10:54:21 GMTVery interesting discussion broke out on Twitter today.

It all started when Allen Kessler (who else?) complained that the Rungood Poker Series in Oklahoma was "forcing" the top 10 winners to buy a cruise they may not want.

Kessler also sent me a private message alerting me to the situation, presumably hoping I would back him up on this once I looked into it.

So what was Kessler talking about?

Apparently the Rungood Poker Series had a tournament where $15,000 was taken out of the prize pool in order to pay for a "$1500 cruise package" for the top ten finishers. The cruise would be a Cardplayer Cruise, taking place from May 3-10, 2018.

My first concern, of course, was whether this $15,000 removed from the prizepool for these cruises was totally disclosed.

I asked this question on Twitter, and was shown a copy of their flyer. It definitely was clearly disclosed, so no problem there.

The next question: Was the cruise for two really worth $1500?

I asked Kessler this privately, and he conceded that, yes, the prize was worth approximately $1500 on the open market.

So, again, nobody was getting shortchanged.

I told Kessler at that point (privately) that he was making much ado about nothing, but then he raised a great point which I hadn't considered:

If the cruise is worth $1500, and they're taking $1500 out of the prize pool for each one, why make the cruise part of the tournament at all? Why not just award the $1500 cash to each player, and let them decide if they want to spend it on the cruise or not?

While this clearly wasn't a scam, I decided it was kind of unethical. A prize should only be awarded in lieu of cash if there's some benefit to the prize being there instead of cash -- such as it being added for free or at a discount. This one was neither. It looked to me that this was a backdoor way to force the sale of 10 cruises.

In the meantime, Kessler was getting hammered on Twitter by people bashing him for complaining about this, with many not understanding the point he was trying to raise. I came out and defended him, and explained the problem:

Apparently he had some affection for the Rungood Poker Tour. Perhaps it's run by his friends? I don't know, but he got very angry about this whole discussion, and lashed out at both myself and Kessler, referring to both of us as "negative assy washed up whiners". He didn't name either of us in his initial tweet, but it's clear he was directing it at us, especially Kessler:

David Baker and I have disliked each other for the past decade, even though there was never any major incident between us. In 2014, David and I had some strong words for each other on Twitter after I was angry at him for treating me disrespectfully at Commerce.

However, since that occurred, I actually once escrowed a bet between a PFA user and David, and we've played together at the WSOP a few times without any further incident. So while David and I still don't particularly care for each other, I'm really not interested in pursuing an ongoing feud with him.

This was actually the first time since that 2014 Twitter fight where David said anything nasty to me, but I chose to ignore it, because it seemed that it was mainly aimed at Kessler, whom it appeared David also personally disliked.

Kessler and David continued to argue back and forth after this, and I stayed out of it.

So back to Rungood.

I had another thought: What if Rungood Poker was receiving these cruises at a discount, and then taking $1500 (full price) out of the pool for each one they were "awarding"? That would essentially be extra undisclosed rake, and would be VERY unethical. I raised this issue:

I then decided that this whole thing wasn't quite as nefarious as it originally seemed.

Indeed, the tournament was very player-unfriendly by "awarding" a cruise by taking its retail price out of the prize pool. But between Rungood's excellent reputation in the community (they had lots of defenders on Twitter, including well-respected pros), their willingness to answer questions, and the fact that nothing was hidden or scammy here, I decided that this situation was more likely just an oversight.

They probably thought they would create excitement by making 10 seats to their upcoming cruise part of the prize pool (the cruise is specifically for Rungood), and they also figured they'd get the added benefit of filing up the ship a bit more. I'm guessing that they didn't think about the fact that deducting retail price from the prize pool made it into a situation where only they benefit, and where the player would be better off with the equivalent cash.

So I decided to lay off Rungood, and just made a polite suggestion to perhaps give players the option in the future to trade in the seat for cash at full value:

Is it ethical to take the full retail value of a prize out of the prizepool, even if the casino or poker tour is also paying full price to acquire it? Or should there always be a cash option in such a case?

I think it's not terrible, but it's definitely player-unfriendly unless they allow the winner to trade it in for full-value cash.

Anyway, I'll give Rungood the benefit of the doubt here, because they have a good reputation, and I doubt they thought of the potential negative appearance of what they were doing. They're known to be a very "rec-friendly" poker tour, and many admire them for bringing new people into the game and giving them a pleasant experience.

And regarding Kessler, though he took a LOT of heat here (both on Twitter and Facebook), he actually had a reasonable point. He didn't communicate it very well, and he came off a bit too aggressive, but he meant well. Kessler actually makes a lot of effort to call out bad behavior on the part of poker rooms, and he usually has a good point when he raises issue about something. You may not like his personality, but he is an honest guy who tries to protect the poker community, so give him credit there.
]]>Poker Community DiscussionDan Druffhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?16251-When-a-tournament-substitutes-a-prize-for-cash-out-of-the-prizepool-is-it-ethicalAmazing ACR STUFF LMAOhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?16115-Amazing-ACR-STUFF-LMAO&goto=newpost
Mon, 27 Nov 2017 07:11:36 GMTSo today i played the .55 R/A satty to the 800 mega stack Turbo MTT.. I managed to win my seat first of all. But there was a Tiny Malfunction within their system..Their system Double Registerd me for the Main MTT. I pre regged while in first place with 11 ppl left still playing the satty. Made it to the FT and won my seat. waited to get the confirmation that i won the satty and went to un register from the main MTT to recieve the TB so as not to get a double register like what happened. Spent 45 total min first on Live chat and was getting pushed around. Learned my lesson. decided to call them instead while still floating around with live chat. I got on the phone with the Supervisor and told him the story. I told him one of two things are going to have to happen. You can un reg me prior to the MTT which cant be done now that im sitting out of the MTT and playing, or you can Suspend/cancel the whole MTT and refund everyone which will upset everyone esp the 2 others that won that satty with me. He ended up trying to run system checks with the software while on the phone and ended up crediting my account with the 16.50 and proceeded to tell me that if my system Diagnostics come back positive they will cancel the MTT, Told me that im a good player for them lmao currently -ROI lol and told me i can still play the MTT while still being credited with the full refund of the main MTTs cash Value. So now here i sit playing what i didnt want to play in the first place but now its def a complete Freeroll minus the 1.55 i spent on the satty. Man gotta love the system glitches wether there in your favor or not..Good or for bad..So today i played the .55 R/A satty to the 800 mega stack Turbo MTT.. I managed to win my seat first of all. But there was a Tiny Malfunction within their system..Their system Double Registerd me for the Main MTT. I pre regged while in first place with 11 ppl left still playing the satty. Made it to the FT and won my seat. waited to get the confirmation that i won the satty and went to un register from the main MTT to recieve the TB so as not to get a double register like what happened. Spent 45 total min first on Live chat and was getting pushed around. Learned my lesson. decided to call them instead while still floating around with live chat. I got on the phone with the Supervisor and told him the story. I told him one of two things are going to have to happen. You can un reg me prior to the MTT which cant be done now that im sitting out of the MTT and playing, or you can Suspend/cancel the whole MTT and refund everyone which will upset everyone esp the 2 others that won that satty with me. He ended up trying to run system checks with the software while on the phone and ended up crediting my account with the 16.50 and proceeded to tell me that if my system Diagnostics come back positive they will cancel the MTT, Told me that im a good player for them lmao currently -ROI lol and told me i can still play the MTT while still being credited with the full refund of the main MTTs cash Value. So now here i sit playing what i didnt want to play in the first place but now its def a complete Freeroll minus the 1.55 i spent on the satty. Man gotta love the system glitches wether there in your favor or not..Good or for bad..
]]>Poker Community DiscussionBluffedwacoawayhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?16115-Amazing-ACR-STUFF-LMAOHand Selection %https://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?16113-Hand-Selection&goto=newpost
Sun, 26 Nov 2017 04:29:35 GMTwhen looking at charts and using a HUD...on the HUD it stats your VPIP and your PFR when inputing this into a program to find the Selection of hands being played which one is used to determine the Hands that are possibly being Played?when looking at charts and using a HUD...on the HUD it stats your VPIP and your PFR when inputing this into a program to find the Selection of hands being played which one is used to determine the Hands that are possibly being Played?
]]>Poker Community DiscussionBluffedwacoawayhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?16113-Hand-Selectionhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?16111-Charity-Tournament-12-2-at-Bally-s-Las-Vegas&goto=newpost
Sun, 26 Nov 2017 01:52:34 GMTI won a free seat into this event and will be going to Vegas next weekend to play in it. Just thought I would share in case any PFA members were in the area and interested in playing...probably not the best value for your gambling dollar, but it seems like it is helping out a good cause so if you are feeling charitable this holiday season stop by and get in on it!

I'm excited to be going to Vegas for the first time in almost two years - with two little kids at home I don't get to play much live poker anymore...so it's probably going to be three days of playing pretty much nonstop. I'm hoping to play at least a couple of other regular tournaments aside from this charity one, including the Sunday night H.O.R.S.E. tournament at The Orleans. Anyone have any suggestions for any other good low buy-in daily/weekly tournaments in Vegas where the rake isn't ridiculous? I've checked out the schedule on CardPlayer.com so I have a general idea of what is available, but recommendations are always welcome...

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]]>Poker Community Discussionmdj1980https://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?16111-Charity-Tournament-12-2-at-Bally-s-Las-VegasTony Bigcharles (sevencard2003) has meltdown during blackjack losses at Golden Gate Casinohttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?16062-Tony-Bigcharles-(sevencard2003)-has-meltdown-during-blackjack-losses-at-Golden-Gate-Casino&goto=newpost
Mon, 20 Nov 2017 02:57:08 GMTYou may or may not have heard of Tony Bigcharles.

He is a low-stakes poker and blackjack player, who apparently has Asperger's.

For the most part, his blog and tweets are about his forays into low stakes poker and blackjack, and he keeps a running tab of his bankroll, which tends to be around $10,000 (sometimes less).

Tony knows how to count cards in blackjack. I don't know if he does it well or makes mistakes, but he clearly understands the general concepts behind it. I'm guessing that he's probably a +EV blackjack player, at least provided he plays in the right games.

However, counting in blackjack isn't like the movies. You can't just sit down and effortlessly win. It's a long, high-variance grind, and it can be frustrating because unlike poker, you can't play long sessions without being discovered and ejected.

Tony had a comped room at the Golden Gate Casino in downtown Las Vegas, and simply wanted a comp drink. He didn't even want to play blackjack. He just sat at a blackjack table because he couldn't figure out how to use the room's coffee machine (lol), and knew that they serve drinks quicker at blackjack than they do poker.

He started out betting one hand of $5, but when he noticed the count was high (meaning relatively few low cards in the deck, which is advantageous for the player), he quickly raised his bets to two spots of $20, two spots of $45, and two spots of $100, but lost every single hand. He got frustrated, took a short break, and came back.

During his break, he watched the table that nobody would sit and start playing, because that would eat up the good count (he wanted to still place bets while the deck was still +EV). So when someone sat and started playing, Tony returned.

Anyway, Tony kept losing -- and kept pressing his bets as high as two spots of $450. Still lost. He was down $3000.

Then all it took for two guys to walk up and innocently ask him how he was doing, and the meltdown began.

Quote:

i was asked by 2 new guys (who didnt see the losses) how i was doing and if i minded them sitting and i told them exactly what i was thinking. dont ask if u dont wish to know. i told them i could care less if the dealer and his mother died in a serious car accident and i hoped they went broke, became homeless and lost everything they had because if it happened to me it should to them too. i told them how i felt about them hiring dealers who werent white and are foreignors and how it should be illegal cause its racist, because u shouldnt have to be asian to get hired. unfair to blacks, whites, etc and all non-asian peoples. i told them how my main goal was to make sure no one had a good time unless i was too, and how people should be executed for people watching and how rude it is, and especially if theyre just out to have a good time not caring how this would effect the others who take the game seriously. i told them how this casino should be burned to the ground and how i prayed it took place soon.

:what

He then asked security to kick him out so he wouldn't keep losing, and asked them to escort him to his car, so people wouldn't kick his ass for his racist tirade.

First, apparently he either lied about or miscalculated the amount he was down overall at the Golden Gate. He admitted to only having lost $1700 there, and then went to a different casino to play blackjack, and won all but $125 back. Then he chunked everything back off and then some, and was down $3500.

Later in the blog, he ranted about women and gays, hoping to return to the way the world was prior to World War II.

Quote:

70 yrs ago (before world war 2) women cared more about mens feelings and accepted them as they are. my mom considers homosexuality one of the worst of sins just like God does and believed a womans place is in the home if she is married. she never once dated after my father died when i was 1, but of course then she worked a job to survive from time to time. plus got welfare and food stamps at times. mostly had to work though. but she wouldnt if she were married. a woman is supposed to be there for whatever her husband needs. if u read the Bible u will see what a blessing a wife is and what she is to be like.

nowdays if u dont support queer rights, u arent accepted in this world. it wasnt enough to want to get married, now that they have this, they want to force others who dont approve of their sinful life to participate in their weddings or be sued and lose their jobs and businesses. they bully people mercilessly, including me every time i ran away from home and hitchhiked by insisting i let them blow me. then others become homosexual as an adult because they were molested as a child. no gay people want someone over 18. all the gay men i ever met only wanted me if i were 15-19. no one since. but its only women who feel this way about homosexuality. many men still dont like it and its why men hide it while women want the entire world to know when theyre gay and they show it off by trying to be physically unattractive to men.

It is unclear if the hand took place recently or a long time ago, as Mason has played limit holdem for decades.

You may not be very familiar with limit holdem, so perhaps the strategy discussed there isn't very meaningful to you.

However, as a longtime winning limit holdem player, I can confidently state that I disagree with most of Mason's play and analysis. While I think the hand was indeed discussion-worthy, I don't like the conclusions derived from it, nor do I feel he played the hand correctly.

I will state that he did approach part of the hand with the correct concept -- to play in a fashion to force out opponents with an overpair to the board, rather than attempt to extract more money from them. However, there were several mistakes made in the way he played this hand (in my opinion, of course).

This was just brought to my attention yesterday. Weeks ago, discussion of this hand came up on 2+2's Medium-High Stakes Limit Holdem forum, and just about everyone disagreed with Mason's play and analysis, including some longtime winning limit holdem players on the site.

One of them, John_Locke (not sure of his real-life identity), was temporarily banned after a heated debate with Mason, where Mason felt that John had twisted his words in order to intentionally make him look bad. John is now back on the site.

I won't get involved in the banning drama, since it doesn't really involve me, but I will discuss the limit holdem hand.

In the hand under discussion, Mason was dealt TT in the SB, and a multiway pot was limped to him. He chose just to complete, rather than raise, with the belief that he didn't want to pump up the pot pre-flop just to get crushed immediately on the flop against many players. He decided to just limp and see what happens, but conceded that a raise there is also correct. Then an overaggressive player in the BB raised anyway, and Mason chose to just call.

This was incorrect on two fronts.

First, TT is a very strong hand, and it is almost surely the best one when the pot is limped around to you. Since you cannot charge your opponents much compared to the pot postflop, it is important to raise preflop whenever you feel you have the best hand, except in rare cases where it's for deception purposes (such as flatting AA from the BB against one opponent). Raising TT from the SB is super-standard here, and even Mason concedes that it's not incorrect.

But then he was given a gift -- an aggromonkey in the BB popped it up anyway. Now Mason had the opportunity to make everyone behind his TT pay THREE bets, but oddly he chose to just call.

The flop, incidentally, came a favorable 644.

After not raising at any point pre, the standard play is to check-raise this flop. However, Mason bet out, and the aggromonkey in the BB raised him. Everyone else folded.

Now, there actually is a good reason to fire out the flop if you believe the BB will raise, and that's to clear out anyone who might want to chase at that point. In limit holdem, people will chase the flop for 1 bet with lots of speculative hands, but they will typically fold when faced with 2 bets. At this point, the pot is big enough to where you just want to get opponents out and win with your TT. That was Mason's reasoning for his play.

However, the problem with betting out is that your opponent in the BB isn't guaranteed to raise, so that's why you're still better off check-raising, unless he's such a maniac to where you know he's auto-raising your donk-bet on the flop.

So everyone else folded, and it was back to Mason. Did he 3-bet? For reasons unknown, he did not.

A queen hit the turn. At this point, Mason fired out again, and the BB just called.

Mason stated that he didn't want to check-raise and give a free card, and at the same time, would be happy with a fold if he were to bet and not get called, given the vulnerability of his TT to overcards. That reasoning is correct.

However, the problem here is that Mason could have done the exact same thing by 3-betting the flop and then firing any non-ace turn, yet derived one more small bet from it.

River came 9. No straight or flush possible. Mason checked, hoping to induce a bluff. Indeed, the BB bluff-bet at him, Mason called, the BB showed KJ for king high, and Mason scooped the nice pot.

This worked out perfectly, but in reality the river play was also incorrect. Most players, including over-aggro ones, will check-back any ace or king high at this point, given the way they play went down. At the same time, they will almost surely call with any ace or king high, given the pot size. Therefore, checking only induces bluffs from J high or worse, and that's much less likely than this overaggro fellow holding K high/A high/worse pair. In this case, the guy did bluff with KJ high, but that doesn't happen too often nowadays, whereas a call from KJ high is very common.

Of course, the above is all my opinion. However, almost all winning players in the ensuing discussion thread agreed that Mason did not play this hand correctly.

This hand actually is discussion-worthy, because it shows how even longtime players like Mason might play it vastly differently than you'd expect, and it touches upon various important modern limit holdem concepts:

1) Pounding it with the best hand. This is important in limit holdem, as it's a game of value-betting, not a game of trapping. If you feel you have the best hand preflop, then it's important to make everyone put money in while behind. The one exception would be a hand like 77 in a multiway pot where you're in the SB or BB. You may be ahead, but there's such a high chance that you will be outflopped that it's reasonable to just complete. However, TT is strong enough to where it will still be the best hand on many flops.

2) Pounding it out of position on the flop when you think you have the best hand, including against overaggro players. This is especially true because overaggro players won't give you credit on the flop, assuming you would wait til the turn to check-raise a strong hand, so they will give you more action.

3) Wanting people to fold when you have a good but vulnerable hand. This is different than NL, where you are happy to get action from inferior hands. In limit holdem, you can't bet big enough to price people out in many cases, so using an overaggro player to force others out is actually smart -- but only if you know he's so aggressive that he will indeed raise your unusual donk bet on the flop. In this case, Mason did not describe the payer as a maniac (just loose-aggro), so I would not have donk bet that flop, even though Mason's thinking regarding getting other players out was correct.

4) Value betting even when an overcard hits against one opponent. You will lose too much value if you don't do this, and you will end up a net loser in limit holdem.

5) Betting for value on the river against a likely A high or K high hand, and only attempting to induce a bluff from what you believe to be a non-showdownable hand. So if you think your opponent has K high or better, you're far better value betting than attempting to make him bluff.

I am not as hard on Mason here as others, as I do understand his thinking. He tried to use an over-aggro player to clear out a multiway field postflop, and it worked. Many limit holdem players don't think of that. I have done this before myself, but again, this only works with a maniac to your left, not just a loose-aggro guy. But okay... since you gain a lot from the aggro guy raising, perhaps this was worth a shot. I wouldn't do it, but I can see the merit in that play.

However, I feel that he did mess up the rest of the hand pretty badly,. Not raising preflop was a mistake. Not 3-betting preflop was a mistake. Not 3-betting postflop was a mistake. Attempting to get a river bluff from a hand likely to call a value bet (but often check back) was a mistake.

Mason claims in another thread that john_locke and dead..money are the same person, which is probably true.

BTW, I am not posting this to bash or insult Mason. I think the hand itself (and the ensuing controversy) are interesting, and felt it was worth reporting out here.
]]>Poker Community DiscussionDan Druffhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?16021-Mason-gives-em-something-to-talk-aboutChris Ferguson wins bracelet and very likely WSOP POWhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?15937-Chris-Ferguson-wins-bracelet-and-very-likely-WSOP-POW&goto=newpost
Thu, 02 Nov 2017 04:23:59 GMThttp://www.wsop.com/2017/poy/
Been kimda.rooting for him, just for lulZhttp://www.wsop.com/2017/poy/

Been kimda.rooting for him, just for lulZ
]]>Poker Community Discussionduped_samaritanhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?15937-Chris-Ferguson-wins-bracelet-and-very-likely-WSOP-POWPennsylvania becomes 4th state and OKs betting online, in airports, at truck stopshttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?15918-Pennsylvania-becomes-4th-state-and-OKs-betting-online-in-airports-at-truck-stops&goto=newpost
Mon, 30 Oct 2017 21:56:16 GMT

Quote:

Pennsylvania, the nation's second-largest commercial casino state, is taking an even deeper plunge into gambling and will allow people to bet online, in airports and at truck stops.

With government leaders searching for money to plug holes in Pennsylvania's tattered finances, Gov. Tom Wolf on Monday signed legislation authorizing a major expansion of gambling.

Under the measure, the state will become the fourth to allow offer online gambling, joining Nevada, New Jersey and Delaware. It also makes Pennsylvania the first state to allow online play for both commercial casinos and its state lottery, as both go in search of newer and younger players.

"
BREAKING: Nevada, New Jersey and Delaware to share online poker player pools:

Trenton, NJ – Governor Chris Christie announced today that he has reached an agreement with Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval and Delaware Governor John Carney to allow Internet gaming patrons in New Jersey to play online against players in those two states.

“New Jersey has been a pioneer in the development of authorized, regulated online gaming, which has been a budding success since its launch in late 2013,” Governor Christie said. “Pooling players with Nevada and Delaware will enhance annual revenue growth, attract new consumers, and create opportunities for players and Internet gaming operators. This agreement marks the beginning of a new and exciting chapter for online gaming, and we look forward to working with our partners in Nevada and Delaware in this endeavor.”

New Jersey’s entry into this multistate agreement will increase jackpots and opportunities for play, while also providing an incentive for operators to expand Internet gaming offerings upon locating their gaming servers in the State of New Jersey.

Operators will be able to allow their customers to participate in games such as poker, tournaments, and progressive slot games with players in other states where they are licensed. Regulators in each of the three states will have to approve an operator interested in offering games to persons in each state and approve the game software that will be used.

“New Jersey stands prepared to approve a game offering for all three states as soon as an operator submits such a product for testing,” said David Rebuck, Director of the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement.

Since New Jersey authorized online gaming in November 2013, annual revenues have steadily increased. In 2016, the Internet gaming win was $196.7 million, which helped propel Atlantic City to its first year-over-year increase in gaming revenue in almost a decade. Internet gaming revenue is projected to increase further to $240 million in 2017.

New Jersey currently has 23 authorized Internet gaming websites. A list of those websites and their Atlantic City casino partners can be found here: www.nj.gov/oag/ge/gamingsites.html. "
]]>Poker Community DiscussionAhoosierAhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?15761-NV-DE-NJ-reach-agreement-to-share-online-player-poolsPaying taxes on Online winshttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?15741-Paying-taxes-on-Online-wins&goto=newpost
Wed, 11 Oct 2017 14:49:18 GMTSo after bitching about ignition I switched to ACR, I've cashed for a few thousand over the last few months. What I'm wondering, has anyone be audited and had to claim online wins?
]]>Poker Community DiscussionDrawingdeadhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?15741-Paying-taxes-on-Online-winsTip: If Bovada/Ignition kicks you off the table, check hand historyhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?15695-Tip-If-Bovada-Ignition-kicks-you-off-the-table-check-hand-history&goto=newpost
Thu, 05 Oct 2017 11:29:28 GMTIf the hand history shows that ALL players were disconnected, call Bovada/Ignition and complain.

They will issue you a refund for the money you put in, provided that it's clear to them that all players were knocked off by their server.

This happened to me tonight, as I was on the SB ($15) at a $30/$60 limit holdem game, and their server screwed up and booted all 3 players off.

I called, they looked into it, agreed it was due to server trouble, and refunded my $15.
]]>Poker Community DiscussionDan Druffhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?15695-Tip-If-Bovada-Ignition-kicks-you-off-the-table-check-hand-historyPoker bitching 8 losing sessionshttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?15678-Poker-bitching-8-losing-sessions&goto=newpost
Mon, 02 Oct 2017 13:02:45 GMTWTF!!!! 8 losers in a row!!! I was waiting for a PLO game to start and sat at 4/8 limit holdem. LOST!!!
Thank you for listening.
Any words of encouragement would be greatly appreciated.
Not even having a lot of bad beats. Just shitting cards and I guess combined with a little bad play.WTF!!!! 8 losers in a row!!! I was waiting for a PLO game to start and sat at 4/8 limit holdem. LOST!!!

Thank you for listening.

Any words of encouragement would be greatly appreciated.

Not even having a lot of bad beats. Just shitting cards and I guess combined with a little bad play.
]]>Poker Community DiscussionGoodpoophttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?15678-Poker-bitching-8-losing-sessionshttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?15666-Phil-Galfond-involved-with-new-DFS-site-quot-Draftboard-quot-attempting-to-make-things-better-for-rec-players&goto=newpost
Sat, 30 Sep 2017 09:26:38 GMTHere's Haley Hintze's article about it: http://www.flushdraw.net/news/phil-g...te-draftboard/

This is actually a good idea.

Draftboard is attempting to be the new "third option" for DFS (behind FanDuel and DraftKings, who hold 90% of the market).

The twist will come from a new system preventing pro players from running out hundreds or thousands of entries to crush recreational players.

They will accomplish this by "pairing" multiple entries to go up against each other.

For example, if a recreational player enters once, he will only be against the first entry of each player on the site, no matter how many other times they enter.

So what of the remaining multiple entries? They will go against other players with multiple entries! So a 2nd entry will compete against everyone else's 2nd entry, the 3rd entry will be against everyone else's 3rd entry, and so on. This greatly decreases the value of multiple entries, as your competition will be getting increasingly tough (presumably) with each additional entry.

Great idea, as the DFS bumhunters were basically ruining the entire concept of these sites by running complex analysis tools and then blanketing each tournament with hundreds or thousands of optimal entries (thus largely removing luck/variance which should otherwise be a huge part of DFS).

Will this catch on or be successful? Who knows?

Unfortunately, 20 US states are restricted from Draftboard. These are: Alabama, Arizona, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington. Puerto Rico also cannot play on Draftboard. This is done in order to prevent legal issues with states where DFS is either illegal or questionable.
]]>Poker Community DiscussionDan Druffhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?15666-Phil-Galfond-involved-with-new-DFS-site-quot-Draftboard-quot-attempting-to-make-things-better-for-rec-playersIgnition Poker Points EXPIRING on October 1sthttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?15637-Ignition-Poker-Points-EXPIRING-on-October-1st&goto=newpost
Mon, 25 Sep 2017 19:04:21 GMTJust an FYI heads up.

I gave them a call to ask about it this because this is extremely vague and feels as if they should fall off on some month to month scale based on the previous year or something like that. One thing I asked them is if I earn 1000 points on September 30th and don't convert before October 1st I lose all those points and they said that is correct. That is ridiculous but at least I got clarification from two representatives that this is true.

The good news is if you convert to tickets by then usually you have 2 to 3 months to play the games.
]]>Poker Community DiscussionBeerAndPokerhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?15637-Ignition-Poker-Points-EXPIRING-on-October-1stPLO8: What do you do here?https://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?15636-PLO8-What-do-you-do-here&goto=newpost
Mon, 25 Sep 2017 16:38:29 GMT4-handed PLO8 game, $2.50/$5.00.
You have As2s7dKc
One opponent, who typically only calls flop if he has something, and will sometimes check-raise turn big, other times fold turn. Rarely check-raises flop. He is on the BB, you are UTG. Other 2 people folded pre to your raise. You both have around $550 behind.
Flop is J85, one spade.
He checks, you bet $35, he calls.
Turn is Qs. Now you have both the nut flush draw AND the nut low draw, but no made hand.
He checks. Do you bet something like pot, knowing you will be risking most of your stack if he check-raises? Or do you check back, hoping to catch something? Or perhaps bet smaller than pot?
Also, if you do bet something substantial on turn and brick, do you shove the river, or just check back and give up?4-handed PLO8 game, $2.50/$5.00.

You have As2s7dKc

One opponent, who typically only calls flop if he has something, and will sometimes check-raise turn big, other times fold turn. Rarely check-raises flop. He is on the BB, you are UTG. Other 2 people folded pre to your raise. You both have around $550 behind.

Flop is J85, one spade.

He checks, you bet $35, he calls.

Turn is Qs. Now you have both the nut flush draw AND the nut low draw, but no made hand.

He checks. Do you bet something like pot, knowing you will be risking most of your stack if he check-raises? Or do you check back, hoping to catch something? Or perhaps bet smaller than pot?

Also, if you do bet something substantial on turn and brick, do you shove the river, or just check back and give up?
]]>Poker Community DiscussionDan Druffhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?15636-PLO8-What-do-you-do-hereyou make the call: stars sunday million on bubblehttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?15627-you-make-the-call-stars-sunday-million-on-bubble&goto=newpost
Fri, 22 Sep 2017 20:14:20 GMTblinds 500-1000

bubble could burst in 5-10 hands

utg shoves all in w/ just over 10bb

utg+2 repops all in 30k

folded to me w/ 20k chips...in seat five look down and see QQ

what's your move?
]]>Poker Community Discussionmulvahttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?15627-you-make-the-call-stars-sunday-million-on-bubbleBig ship online and want to brag on social media? IRS may be watchinghttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?15568-Big-ship-online-and-want-to-brag-on-social-media-IRS-may-be-watching&goto=newpost
Wed, 13 Sep 2017 00:21:29 GMT
---Quote---
The IRS Is Mining Taxpayer Data On Social Media In Violation Of Federal Privacy Law
As its staff shrinks, the Internal Revenue Service has turned to mining social media and large data sets in search of taxpayers to audit, a Washington State University professor says in a recent report in the Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment and Technology Law.
People should be aware “that what they say and do online” could be used against them by the IRS, said Kimberly Houser, an associate professor of business law in WSU’s Carson College of Business.
---End Quote---
http://taxprof.typepad.com/taxprof_blog/2017/08/the-irs-is-mining-taxpayer-data-on-social-media-in-violation-of-federal-privacy-law.html

Quote:

The IRS Is Mining Taxpayer Data On Social Media In Violation Of Federal Privacy Law

As its staff shrinks, the Internal Revenue Service has turned to mining social media and large data sets in search of taxpayers to audit, a Washington State University professor says in a recent report in the Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment and Technology Law.

People should be aware “that what they say and do online” could be used against them by the IRS, said Kimberly Houser, an associate professor of business law in WSU’s Carson College of Business.

http://taxprof.typepad.com/taxprof_b...ivacy-law.html
]]>Poker Community DiscussionShizzmoneyhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?15568-Big-ship-online-and-want-to-brag-on-social-media-IRS-may-be-watchingPokerstars getting friendlyhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?15551-Pokerstars-getting-friendly&goto=newpost
Sat, 09 Sep 2017 22:01:56 GMTPokerstars once again is getting and heading the bandwagon to make online poker a rec friendly environment by increasing the payout spots for all tournaments ..
The new increase will allow 1 in 5.5 of players a return on there investment..
Good for them..Pokerstars once again is getting and heading the bandwagon to make online poker a rec friendly environment by increasing the payout spots for all tournaments ..

The new increase will allow 1 in 5.5 of players a return on there investment..

Good for them..
]]>Poker Community Discussionthespartenhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?15551-Pokerstars-getting-friendlyGlobal Poker Issues Anyone?https://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?15540-Global-Poker-Issues-Anyone&goto=newpost
Thu, 07 Sep 2017 21:41:41 GMTI hope this is the right forum for this. First time poster here. Anyway, I signed up for Global and went to buy $300 worth of "gold coins" which gave me sweeps cash or whatever. It takes me to pay pal. I log in just fine. When I go to pay, I select Pay Pal master card. Then I get an error, instrument declined. I checked several times and have plenty of room on my Pay Pal master Card. Has anyone else experienced this?
]]>Poker Community Discussionbrutal_thinkerhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?15540-Global-Poker-Issues-AnyoneVirtue Poker, P2P Ethereum Poker Sites launches in UShttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?15535-Virtue-Poker-P2P-Ethereum-Poker-Sites-launches-in-US&goto=newpost
Thu, 07 Sep 2017 02:58:27 GMThttps://virtue.poker
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LNM_0DC95shttps://virtue.poker

]]>Poker Community DiscussionShizzmoneyhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?15535-Virtue-Poker-P2P-Ethereum-Poker-Sites-launches-in-USDoug Polk challenges Tom Dwan to 5 million dollar NLHL heads up matchhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?15530-Doug-Polk-challenges-Tom-Dwan-to-5-million-dollar-NLHL-heads-up-match&goto=newpost
Wed, 06 Sep 2017 06:01:03 GMT
]]>Poker Community DiscussionMatt The Rathttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?15530-Doug-Polk-challenges-Tom-Dwan-to-5-million-dollar-NLHL-heads-up-matchACR Postpones Bigger Online Super Series due to DDOShttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?15519-ACR-Postpones-Bigger-Online-Super-Series-due-to-DDOS&goto=newpost
Mon, 04 Sep 2017 20:04:32 GMTLOL what a joke that site's security is (this from an email from the CEO):

Quote:

Dear Valued Customer

Over the course of the past few days, our network has experienced severe Distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks. While we will never pay one cent of extortion money in order to stop the attacks, we will be putting in considerable resources to determine who was behind the attack in the weeks to come.
Though we were able to successfully complete the Million Dollar Sunday tournament along with the Online Super Series, we’ve decided to postpone the Bigger Online Super Series that was scheduled to run September 6th-10th.

As per our terms and conditions, we were forced to cancel a number of Online Super Series events as well. Because of this, it only seems fair that we re-launch the entire Online Super Series Cub3d again, and increase the guaranteed prize pools of the entire event.

The Online Super Series Cub3d will relaunch from September 24th through October 22nd. The series will feature both a half-price Million Dollar Sundays tournament with a $250+$15 buy-in, along with another regular $540 buy-in $1,000,000 GTD the final Sunday of the BOSS.

I will be talking to players this afternoon about these developments and further details about the series via Twitch at 2:30pm, 3:00pm and 4:00pm ET. To follow the live stream CLICK HERE.

The postponement allows us time to strengthen our defenses against possible attacks in the future, and ensure network stability. We apologize for the disruption, and appreciate your ongoing loyalty as we deal with these attacks.

Thanks for your understanding,

Phil Nagy

]]>Poker Community DiscussionShizzmoneyhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?15519-ACR-Postpones-Bigger-Online-Super-Series-due-to-DDOShttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?15518-AhoosierA-involved-in-controversial-bubble-spot-Called-a-CHEATER-amp-SCUMBAG&goto=newpost
Mon, 04 Sep 2017 14:56:19 GMTI was playing in a tournament over the weekend. $1.1k buy-in. Running really well. Make Day2 with a ton of chips and we are about 27 people away from the money.

Day2 starts and I got an amazing table draw. There were only 2 people other than myself at the table that had a Hendon Mob. Anyway, I steadily increased my stack without ease until we were on the STONE BUBBLE.

The tournament paid 63 spots. We were at 64 players and hand-for-hand. At my table there was an all-in and call, a flip between 2 similar stacks. The guy that lost the hand was left with just a little over 1BB. (Blinds were 5k/10k...he had like 11.5k) The very next hand, the guy that had 11.5k was UTG and put in the last of his chips.....it folded to me in the SB and I made the call with 23 offsuit.....the BB makes the call. The FLOP comes K96 rainbow. Now obviously I have nothing...however I'm not ready for the bubble to burst, I was collecting blinds and antes at will....So I lead out at the dry side pot with 3 high. The BB folded and the UTG player won the pot with K high.

As soon as I had turned my hand over everyone at the table was like "WTF!?!?!?" and screaming "COLLUSION". I didn't say a word. I mean what am I suppose to say? "I want the bubble to continue so I can continue to steal all your blinds/antes"

The floor gets called over and asks what happened. Everyone, including the dealer is ready to hang me on the cross!! I tell the floor that I will gladly explain to them my reasoning away from the table. He lets me talk to him away from the table and I explain to him the dynamic. Luckily he was a pretty competent floor and seemed to understand why I did what I did.

No penalty was issued luckily but I did receive a lot of shit from the other players until the table broke, and the guy that eventually busted me (The guy that was in the BB in the controversial hand none-the-less) made the comment "That's what you get" when he busted me.
]]>Poker Community DiscussionAhoosierAhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?15518-AhoosierA-involved-in-controversial-bubble-spot-Called-a-CHEATER-amp-SCUMBAGNLOP poker Using PayPalhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?15493-NLOP-poker-Using-PayPal&goto=newpost
Wed, 30 Aug 2017 21:50:56 GMTI just got a email from NLOP Poker and this is interesting

We have some BIG news to share with you...

We are excited to announce that NLOP has been acquired by Cafrino!

The two brands, Cafrino and National League of Poker, will continue to operate independently for the foreseeable future. So you can expect the same great platform that you’ve come to know and love. But by combining the resources from two of the leading free-to-play and legal online poker brands, this will offer many benefits to all players. And while we feel that this is a huge win for both products and all players, the transition will take some time. So, we’re asking all of you to please bear with us. Our goal is to make NLOP better than ever!

Some things you can expect to see in the near future:

Bigger Cash Tournaments: We know what you’re here for… cold, hard cash… and lots of it! We’re already hard at work to launch some BIG, new cash tournaments. Over the coming weeks, new tournaments with MUCH higher prize values will be announced.

Prizes: We’re focused on getting prize withdrawals back on track! Effective Friday, September 1, the payment processing accounts (PayPal and Dwolla) will be up and running. Initially, we’ll need to cap daily withdrawals so please bear with us as we work to complete this transition as quickly as possible. We hope to have any withdrawal restrictions removed by November. For more info on prize withdrawals, please view our FAQ.

Premium Memberships: We've been working on exciting updates to the previous membership plans. We'll be bringing back VIP memberships with even MORE great benefits! Although we’re still working out some details, we'll announce a release date in the next few days.

We want to thank you for your continued support and we look forward to bringing you the best online poker experience! For additional updates over the coming weeks, please follow us on Facebook.

Good luck at the tables!

Sincerely,

The NLOP Team

................................Whats up with Paypal???????
]]>Poker Community DiscussionRealNoNameYethttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?15493-NLOP-poker-Using-PayPalPoker Back at Bovadahttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?15457-Poker-Back-at-Bovada&goto=newpost
Wed, 23 Aug 2017 11:34:16 GMTInteresting......there must of been a big enough dip on the fail site ignition that they decided to bring it back. Also add the fact NFL, EPL, and NCAA seasons are about to be in full swing, which always drove site traffic.

We recognized over the past year that there’s been a large appetite for Poker. We’ve decided that bringing back our full suite of poker offerings, is an opportunity to enhance player experience and bring even more excitement to you, our valued players.

Why is poker back?

Our players have spoken! So we’ve listened and brought Poker back.

Quote:

Can I transfer funds from Ignition Casino back to Bovada?

You are unable to transfer funds from any other brand on the PWL network.

Am I allowed to have both a Bovada and Ignition Casino account active at the same time?

Yes, you are able to have an account on Bovada and Ignition Casino at the same time as they are distinct entities; however, you are not permitted to play poker simultaneously or in the same tournament at any point from separate operators. For more details click here.

You contact the agent and he sets you up with an account....you get a kind of generic login name but can set your username (what players see) to whatever you like.

All deposits/withdrawals are made through the agent and not the site. You have to give no personal info to the site.
]]>Poker Community DiscussionAhoosierAhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?15450-Pokerforyou-com-(WPN-skin)-ThoughtsOfficial Tom Dwan returns to Poker After Dark only on Poker Gohttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?15404-Official-Tom-Dwan-returns-to-Poker-After-Dark-only-on-Poker-Go&goto=newpost
Mon, 14 Aug 2017 17:54:56 GMTBrilliant, handsome, and calculated cash game savant Tom Dwan returns tonight.
Attachment 32917 (https://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=32917)
Attachment 32918 (https://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=32918)
I will be at a Yankee game so I wont watch but I am sure he will kill it as usual. GL Tom, amd make sure to stop and get milk on your way homeBrilliant, handsome, and calculated cash game savant Tom Dwan returns tonight.

I will be at a Yankee game so I wont watch but I am sure he will kill it as usual. GL Tom, amd make sure to stop and get milk on your way home

Attached Images

]]>Poker Community DiscussionOnestephttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?15404-Official-Tom-Dwan-returns-to-Poker-After-Dark-only-on-Poker-GoHow We Learned to Cheat at Online Poker: A Study in Software Securityhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?15362-How-We-Learned-to-Cheat-at-Online-Poker-A-Study-in-Software-Security&goto=newpost
Sun, 06 Aug 2017 20:48:07 GMTHow We Learned to Cheat at Online Poker: A Study in Software Securityhttp://www.datamation.com/entdev/article.php/616221/How-We-Learned-to-Cheat-at-Online-Poker-A-Study-in-Software-Security.htm
old article from 1999 but still a very good oneHow We Learned to Cheat at Online Poker: A Study in Software Security

old article from 1999 but still a very good one
]]>Poker Community Discussionmulvahttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?15362-How-We-Learned-to-Cheat-at-Online-Poker-A-Study-in-Software-Security5-Card Omaha (high) resources?https://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?15345-5-Card-Omaha-(high)-resources&goto=newpost
Thu, 03 Aug 2017 14:38:54 GMTHoly shit! My casino has a crazy 5-card PLO game. It's 1-2-5, 200min-700max. Very common to see 2-3k stacks. Last night 10k stacks.

What are some good sources to sharpen my game before stepping in? Have been scoping the game and see 2-3 regulars but everyone else is just stopping in to donate. Any thoughts on how to take advantage on this game before everyone in a pro?
]]>Poker Community DiscussionGoodpoophttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?15345-5-Card-Omaha-(high)-resourcesMlife or TR??https://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?15341-Mlife-or-TR&goto=newpost
Wed, 02 Aug 2017 19:14:11 GMTI am platinum at TR and pearl at mlife. Which one would be better to upgrade? I'm not a high roller so hitting the top tier won't happen. I'm wondering if there's really any benefits to gambling and upgrading again. Do you think it's even worth it to upgrade since all I really want is free rooms and I can have that most weeks of the year? Are there any perks I should consider that make a higher tier status worth while? I don't have a local casinos near me that matter, so I only get the perks in vegas.
]]>Poker Community DiscussionDrawingdeadhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?15341-Mlife-or-TRIgnition poker is pissing me offhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?15337-Ignition-poker-is-pissing-me-off&goto=newpost
Wed, 02 Aug 2017 01:08:34 GMTI put 150$ in my account. I play .25/.50 50$ buy ins. Lost most of my money with 3 flopped set over set, quads over quads within 2 hours. I'm not sure what's going on but I feel like something's not right. The last 3 deposits I've lost to amazing hands Aaa over Kkk type shit. Do you guys have any opinions? I can't imagine this happens regularly to other players. I think I'm done playing online and I'm only sticking to live play after my last few buy ins.
]]>Poker Community DiscussionDrawingdeadhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?15337-Ignition-poker-is-pissing-me-offhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?15307-Phil-Ivey-David-Devilfish-Ulliott-Inducted-Into-Poker-Hall-Of-Fame&goto=newpost
Tue, 25 Jul 2017 11:54:32 GMT
---Quote---
On Friday night, during the ESPN televised broadcast of the World Series of Poker main event, a governing council announced the induction of Phil Ivey and the late David “Devilfish” Ulliott into the Poker Hall of Fame.
Ivey and Ulliott were two of the 10 nominees chosen from by the 27 living members of the PHOF, as well as 18 members of the media. The other nominees were Huck Seed, David Chiu, Matt Savage, Mori Eskandani, Max Pescatori, Ted Forrest, Mike Matusow and Thor Hansen.
---End Quote---
http://www.cardplayer.com/poker-news/21906-phil-ivey-david-devilfish-ulliott-inducted-into-poker-hall-of-fame

Quote:

On Friday night, during the ESPN televised broadcast of the World Series of Poker main event, a governing council announced the induction of Phil Ivey and the late David “Devilfish” Ulliott into the Poker Hall of Fame.

Ivey and Ulliott were two of the 10 nominees chosen from by the 27 living members of the PHOF, as well as 18 members of the media. The other nominees were Huck Seed, David Chiu, Matt Savage, Mori Eskandani, Max Pescatori, Ted Forrest, Mike Matusow and Thor Hansen.

http://www.cardplayer.com/poker-news...r-hall-of-fame
]]>Poker Community DiscussionShizzmoneyhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?15307-Phil-Ivey-David-Devilfish-Ulliott-Inducted-Into-Poker-Hall-Of-FameFun ride while it lastedhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?15291-Fun-ride-while-it-lasted&goto=newpost
Fri, 21 Jul 2017 23:30:23 GMTYou knew it was coming, just amazing that John Hesp was able to hang on for so long. Hesp misplayed pocket pairs on a previous hand when he checked a turn and bet light on the flop. His opponent was able to hit a gut shot and got 10 mill on a river bet. Blumenfeld played his aa to perfection the next hand and Hesp finally got the cooler after an amazing amount of run good. Unfortunate that hesps a10 connected with an ace on a flop and his 10 came on the turn. Its been fun to watch his ride but the fat lady is starting to sing. No Chris Moneymaker this time around.
Its going to be kind of anti climatic to watch the next couple of nights. Rooting against Blumenfeld taking it down.You knew it was coming, just amazing that John Hesp was able to hang on for so long. Hesp misplayed pocket pairs on a previous hand when he checked a turn and bet light on the flop. His opponent was able to hit a gut shot and got 10 mill on a river bet. Blumenfeld played his aa to perfection the next hand and Hesp finally got the cooler after an amazing amount of run good. Unfortunate that hesps a10 connected with an ace on a flop and his 10 came on the turn. Its been fun to watch his ride but the fat lady is starting to sing. No Chris Moneymaker this time around.

Its going to be kind of anti climatic to watch the next couple of nights. Rooting against Blumenfeld taking it down.
]]>Poker Community DiscussionFRANKRIZZOhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?15291-Fun-ride-while-it-lastedOne of my best-played hands of limit holdem ever -- March 2015https://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?15263-One-of-my-best-played-hands-of-limit-holdem-ever-March-2015&goto=newpost
Mon, 17 Jul 2017 19:51:05 GMTCliffs: Almost dragged a $1400 pot at $30/$60 limit holdem (almost 47 BB) with 55 unimproved. Was a favorite going into the river.

Of course, any 9/T/J/Q/K/A beats me, but not only was I ahead on the turn, but I was more likely than not to have my hand hold.

Would have bet any low blank.

And I knew it. And I knew I was fucked on the river (though that was fairly obvious).
]]>Poker Community DiscussionDan Druffhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?15263-One-of-my-best-played-hands-of-limit-holdem-ever-March-201559 months to vegas?https://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?15251-59-months-to-vegas&goto=newpost
Sun, 16 Jul 2017 10:32:27 GMTFairly new member.

I have been playing online for about 10 years recreationally. Probably a slight loser overall. But can't seem to kick the leisure element.

I have always planned to go to vegas for the seniors event when I'm old enough. In the uk so its not a quick trip. Not sure why the seniors I guess that's just a target.

However taking into consideration Todd statement regarding the quality of players in the event in 5 years and the cheaper event buy ins, just wondered if I should be planning to head out sooner.
]]>Poker Community DiscussionPLO8fishhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?15251-59-months-to-vegasPoker After Dark returning to production...https://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?15239-Poker-After-Dark-returning-to-production&goto=newpost
Thu, 13 Jul 2017 22:38:33 GMTAnnounced to be returning this time via a live game feed on PokerGO. It will have a similar structure to the old shows including Winner Take All SNGs as well as Cash Games and not just Holdem and Omaha but Mixed Games as well. Also the games will air live over 3 nights vs the old 5 night format for 1hr episodes from Aria.
First episode to air August 7, 2017 at 4pm PDT
https://www.upswingpoker.com/poker-after-dark-returns-pokergo/Announced to be returning this time via a live game feed on PokerGO. It will have a similar structure to the old shows including Winner Take All SNGs as well as Cash Games and not just Holdem and Omaha but Mixed Games as well. Also the games will air live over 3 nights vs the old 5 night format for 1hr episodes from Aria.

He's basically a fat nerd who thinks he's hot shit because he had some success in poker, and constantly talks down to people.

He played at my table at a limit holdem WSOP event once, and all he could do was continuously bitch about how limit holdem was a "stupid game". He did this while playing like a typical NL donk, and quickly punting off his stack. If the game is so stupid, why play?

While he was at the table, he also managed to awkwardly flirt with a female dealer (who wasn't really responding much to him).

Anyway, he made the final table of the $50k event, got it all in with JJ preflop, and lost to TT.

Obviously a bad beat, but Scott immediately ran to Twitter to whine about his constant bad luck:

WOW.
]]>Poker Community DiscussionDan Druffhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?15215-Negreanu-flipping-out-due-to-flawed-WSOP-Player-of-the-Year-systemWsop.com to cease trading in the ukhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?15196-Wsop-com-to-cease-trading-in-the-uk&goto=newpost
Thu, 06 Jul 2017 10:28:21 GMTI have recently received an email from wsop.com to say they are ceasing operations in the uk.
Personally I have not playing on there for years.

They were one of a lot of skins on 888 poker.

With the branding is this a good economic decision. Can't be doing very well with the skin the the particular market I guess.
]]>Poker Community DiscussionPLO8fishhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?15196-Wsop-com-to-cease-trading-in-the-ukhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?15179-How-to-fix-the-quot-second-money-bubble-problem-quot-in-multi-flight-events-which-cash-on-Day-1&goto=newpost
Tue, 04 Jul 2017 06:53:50 GMTThere are at least three WSOP events with multi-flights which reach the money on Day 1:

These events actually allow you to cash multiple times, if you cash and then bust before Day 1 is finished, and then re-enter another flight and cash again. But that's not what we're discussing here.

The problem with this scheme is that not every Day 1 cashes the same, due to differing numbers of people busting in the allotted time of the various Day 1 flights.

I played the $888 this year, and personally encountered this for the first time.

There were four flights to this event:

Flight A had 58 out of 1506 make Day 2, for a maximum of $2751.

Flight B (my flight) had 85 out of 1664 make Day 2, for a maximum of $2023.

Flight C had 93 out of 2072 make Day 2, for a maximum of $2204.

Flight D had 137 out of 2878 make Day 2, for a maximum of $2234.

All flights combined on Day 2.

In order to prevent Flight A players who made Day 2 getting LESS than those who busted on Day 1, the WSOP has a rule that the Day 2 cashes must all be greater than the highest Day 1 cash.

Indeed, the minimum cash on Day 2 was $3164. Had two more people busted on Flight A, the maximum Day 1 cash would have been $3196, probably pushing up the Day 2 minimum payout to over $3500!

But let's take my situation as an example of how absurd this whole thing was.

On the final hand of Day 1, I had a tiny 28k stack (about 4 BB). Had I busted on that final Day 1 hand, I would have been awarded $2023. But if I held on one more hand and instead busted on Hand #1 of Day 2, I would have been paid $3164 -- a whopping 56.4% pay jump!!!

(In reality, I busted on the third hand of Day 2, still giving me that same 56.4% pay jump.)

Recall that, upon bursting the money bubble, large MTTs are supposed to move up the cash ladder very slowly. In fact, at no point in the tournament is there EVER a 56.4% pay jump, with the exception of the final table.

So why were relatively early cashers like me awarded a 56.4% pay jump for simply surviving the final hand of Day 1?

The way the WSOP currently does it (playing out a set number of hours for all flights), these pay jumps are somewhat unavoidable, as all four flights are unlikely to cash the same, and they can't pay Day 2 busters less than Day 1 busters. That part makes sense.

But what doesn't make sense is the following:

1) Why compound the problem by bumping the payout even further? It would have been completely fair to start the payout at the same as the highest Day 1 payout ($2751), but they tagged on an extra $413 to that. Why?

2) Players were not adequately informed of this "second money bubble". Indeed, I had no idea about it, and I tend to stay pretty well versed on these sorts of things. I guarantee that only a very small percentage of people in the field knew about it -- likely those who already went through it at The Giant or Colossus (or this event last year). Therefore, we had a large second money bubble which most players did not know existed! While I do not typically play to avoid bubbles, I have to admit this would have influenced my play, if I knew that holding on a few more hands would give me another 56.4% in pay (especially if I didn't have to pay any blinds during those hands).

This is unfair to the players who are not aware of this second bubble, and I imagine that those in my flight cashing $2023 were irked when they looked afterwards and saw they could have gotten another $1141 if they just folded a few more marginal hands at the end of Day 1.

But what's the solution?

I proposed to @WSOP on Twitter that they simply end each flight once the money bubble bursts, and then bring everyone back on Day 2 starting at a min-cash.

I'm not sure who wrote this response (I believe several people use the @WSOP account), but I disagree with it. They can say "This way has worked", but that doesn't really mean anything. It's both non-standard (a crazy pay jump at a point when there shouldn't be one) and unfair (most players don't know the pay jump exists).

I believe that's the best solution -- halt play when the money bubble bursts on each day (my idea), PLUS revert the blinds back to that of the "fastest to the money" Day 1 (Michael Juno's idea). So if the flight hitting the money the earliest did so on Level 16 with 23:14 left, then start everyone on Day 2 at Level 16 with 23:14 left.

Yes, some people will repeat levels or even revert to an earlier level, but it's still better than the current situation where an arbitrary second bubble exists relatively early in the cashing process.

What do you guys think?
]]>Poker Community DiscussionDan Druffhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?15179-How-to-fix-the-quot-second-money-bubble-problem-quot-in-multi-flight-events-which-cash-on-Day-1Dont look now but Chris Ferguson is 2nd in 2017 WSOP POY race.....https://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?15148-Dont-look-now-but-Chris-Ferguson-is-2nd-in-2017-WSOP-POY-race&goto=newpost
Thu, 29 Jun 2017 17:19:19 GMTHe's also threatening to break the single WSOP cashes record apparently.. Proof sometimes there is no justice in poker..

Raymond Henson currently leads with 614.87 pts but Feurgeson is close behind at 599.5 and John Racener sits 3rd with 580.5

http://www.wsop.com/2017/poy/
]]>Poker Community Discussionftpjesushttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?15148-Dont-look-now-but-Chris-Ferguson-is-2nd-in-2017-WSOP-POY-raceTerrence Chan was asked if he could beat me in heads up limit holdem on 2+2 Pokercasthttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?15120-Terrence-Chan-was-asked-if-he-could-beat-me-in-heads-up-limit-holdem-on-2-2-Pokercast&goto=newpost
Sun, 25 Jun 2017 09:41:58 GMTYou can listen at about the 1:51:00 mark on Pokercast #4. Someone e-mailed them and asked that question (clearly a PFA listener).

Terrence at first tried to avoid the question by simply stating that we didn't play much together (which is true), and that I was a "definite winner" on Pokerstars in the 30-60 to 100-200 range (also true).

Then Adam Schwartz, who listens to PFA every week, wouldn't let Terrence off the hook and asked him who wins in a fictitious heads up limit holdem death match.

Terrence still wouldn't directly answer, but said that he "likes his spot against anyone from the 2007 era".

It's probably true that Terrence had more experience heads up than me back in the pre-Black-Friday days, but I played a lot of heads up against good players on sites like Merge and Bovada since then, and got a lot better.

So could 2017 Dan Druff beat 2017 Terrence Chan heads up?

I don't know. I still think it would mostly be a draw, and basically come down to who ran better.

Unrelated to this, Terrence was to my direct left on Day 2 of the $10k Limit Holdem this year. We both entered short, but I ran terribly and was out quickly, while Terrence lost the first hand but then won every pot he played after that. Terrence then rocketed up to chip leader, then held as second chip leader, before finishing a disappointing 7th (presumably running bad, but I didn't watch what happened).

But I'd still take his result in that event over mine in a heartbeat.

I remember as I saw him win hand after hand that day, "Damnit... why couldn't those same cards be one spot over to the right?"

Then again, I'm sure Eric Froehlich was thinking the same thing, as he was on the other side of Terrence, also ran horribly, and also didn't cash.

I didn't play any hands with Terrence.
]]>Poker Community DiscussionDan Druffhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?15120-Terrence-Chan-was-asked-if-he-could-beat-me-in-heads-up-limit-holdem-on-2-2-PokercastWelcome to 2005! WSOP apparently has brought back 2005-manufactured decks to certain eventshttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?15101-Welcome-to-2005!-WSOP-apparently-has-brought-back-2005-manufactured-decks-to-certain-events&goto=newpost
Thu, 22 Jun 2017 07:26:20 GMTI heard from Matt Glantz that, due to multiple complaints regarding accidental markings on cards occurring at the WSOP this year, they might bring back the well-liked playing cards from 2005 for certain events.

2005???

Yes. 2005 was the first year for the WSOP at the Rio, and apparently they ordered a shitload of decks that year -- far more than they needed. I assume that they ordered these decks to be used over the next several years. However, starting from 2007, they ordered new decks (remember those awful Poker Peek decks with Jeffrey Pollack's signature on them?), and the '05 decks sat in a warehouse, forgotten about for 10 more years.

Fast forward to 2017. Someone realized that those 2005 cards were still in storage at the Rio, so they were retrieved. I saw different cards at the $10,000 Limit Holdem event -- ones I remembered being very similar (or identical) to the ones we used in 2005.

A few days before playing the $10k, I asked Seth Palansky (in person) if the cards would be changed, and he said they would not.

I didn't bother to ask about the 2005 card rumor, but it appears that indeed the cards were changed for the $10k events -- at least if my memory of the 2005 cards is correct. They were definitely different cards, though they were by the same manufacturer as the current ones (Copag).

It's also important to note that Seth Palansky mostly works with media, and does have his hands in the operation of WSOP events. It's possible they made this change and never informed him.

The 2017 Copag cards are still being used in all lower and medium buyin events, as well as at all satellite and cash games.
]]>Poker Community DiscussionDan Druffhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?15101-Welcome-to-2005!-WSOP-apparently-has-brought-back-2005-manufactured-decks-to-certain-eventsFences Down: France to Desegregate Online Poker Player Poolhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?15080-Fences-Down-France-to-Desegregate-Online-Poker-Player-Pool&goto=newpost
Mon, 19 Jun 2017 18:25:53 GMTAbout time, hopefully more states and countries will follow

Quote:

France's fenced-in online poker experiment appears to be over, as the country is set to move into shared liquidity with other European nations, CardsChat reported Saturday.

In 2010, France fenced in its poker players, segregating them from the rest of the worldwide player pool. What followed was a steady decline in online poker revenues in France. Cash game revenues dropped by 33 percent over a three-year period. Players were flocking to unregulated sites, with a reported 47 percent of French poker players using them, including 23.5 percent saying they played exclusively on unregulated sites.

https://www.pokernews.com/news/2016/...pool-25973.htm
]]>Poker Community DiscussionShizzmoneyhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?15080-Fences-Down-France-to-Desegregate-Online-Poker-Player-PoolIs there any good online poker in the US yet?https://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?15075-Is-there-any-good-online-poker-in-the-US-yet&goto=newpost
Sun, 18 Jun 2017 22:28:18 GMTI have been out of poker for a while, outside of playing cash games on Bovada every once in a great while to burn some time. Bovada sucks ass but I'm not sure what other options we have in the US right now.

Are there any good options at all? That aren't limited by state residence, etc?

Edit: I guess that shit stain place is called Ignition now, I forgot.
]]>Poker Community DiscussionSerial Failhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?15075-Is-there-any-good-online-poker-in-the-US-yetKings Lounge at WSOPhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?15044-Kings-Lounge-at-WSOP&goto=newpost
Wed, 14 Jun 2017 23:50:39 GMTI visited it yesterday. Tried to get into the very popular 75/150 O8 game, but it was full, and I didn't have the patience to wait.

They transformed a portion of the Pavilion Room into this high limit game "lounge".

I had heard it was elevated, but it's not. It's just walled off somewhat, but anyone can walk in and through the room if they want.

It's laid out pretty nicely and you almost forget you're at the cattle-herd like WSOP when you're in there. They even have a separate bar and TVs in there.

Of course, this is sponsored by an outside (European) company, so that's where all the money came from to make this thing.

WSOP employees are the ones working there, including former NWPer "veeRob" (remember him?)

Anyway, I like it. It's much nicer playing in there than in the usual WSOP cash game section. Might go down there after radio if I have the energy.
]]>Poker Community DiscussionDan Druffhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?15044-Kings-Lounge-at-WSOPObnoxious vendors and massage girls at the WSOPhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?15004-Obnoxious-vendors-and-massage-girls-at-the-WSOP&goto=newpost
Fri, 09 Jun 2017 09:04:34 GMTI haven't yet set foot in the halls of the WSOP, so I am only going by what Brandon told me on radio.

However, I fully believe that his reports are accurate.

Brandon has played 3 WSOP events.

In all three events, he dealt with the following:

- Overaggressive hallway vendors who jumped out in front of him and obnoxiously demanded he listen to their sales pitch. When he told one of them that he was busy and needed to keep walking, the guy said, "Okay! But promise me you'll come back when you're done!" I also experienced this over the past 2 years, as did Brandon, but he said it was worse than ever in 2017.

- Massage girls tapping him on the shoulder and asking if he needed a massage DURING WSOP EVENTS. This has never happened to me before (or Brandon, for that matter), but he reported that it occurred all three times he played so far. While they didn't hassle him when he had cards in front of him, they were tapping him on the shoulder when he wasn't in a hand, and interrupting his concentration at the table.

Obviously both are unacceptable, but the massage thing is the worse of the two.

I have a fairly good relationship with Caesars VP of Marketing Seth Palansky, who is one of the three top managers at the WSOP (the other two being Jack Effel and Ty Stewart). I reported this to Seth, and suggested the following:

- Vendors should be told not to approach players walking in the hallway, and should only talk to people who seem genuinely interested in their product.

- Massage girls should never bother players at the table. If a player wants a massage, he/she should initiate the contact with the massage girl, and not the other way around.

Seth responded by telling me that he was very surprised about the massage girls, as he had not received any reports like that yet. However, he said that he contacted the owner of the massage company and asked him to reiterate to the girls what is appropriate behavior.

He did acknowledge that he had received other complaints about the hallway vendors, and told me that they are in the process of putting a stop to this.

To be clear, as none of these people are WSOP employees, I do not blame the WSOP for these situations. I am happy that the WSOP is willing to address the issues I raised, and that they're correcting the problems.
]]>Poker Community DiscussionDan Druffhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?15004-Obnoxious-vendors-and-massage-girls-at-the-WSOPWhat do I do here?https://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?14985-What-do-I-do-here&goto=newpost
Wed, 07 Jun 2017 02:36:40 GMTI used a credit card to deposit $200 on America's Cardroom back in February (probably not the best idea) and I got this message from them a week ago, nearly four months after the original deposit:
We hope this email finds you doing well.

We would like to let you know that we received the following transactions as disputed by your financial institution:
Transaction ID 296xxxxx deposit made 02-06-2017 at 18:32:32 under the card *****99 for the amount 200.35 USD with the merchant name kingsvars pty

$200.35 have been deducted from your poker account to recover part of the funds disputed. At this moment your account has an outstanding balance of $0.

We truly appreciate your cooperation with this matter.

Best Regards,

Santiago
Americas Cardroom Security Team

So I checked with my wife to make sure she had not disputed the transaction, and she had not. Then I called up the credit card company and asked if the transaction was currently under dispute, and they said it was not. I sent an email back to ACR a few days ago asking for more details on the dispute and they have not replied. In the meantime, they took that deposit back plus another $40 or so that I had won after depositing, leaving my account empty. This was actually my first and only deposit to an online poker site since before Black Friday- I don't get to play much anymore but I thought I would give it a chance.

The problem is, if I now go ahead and dispute the transaction, I wonder if that will jeopardize my ability to ever cash out on ACR if I end up winning some freeroll money there and running it up in the future. So would it be better for me to just try to work it out with ACR? Like I said, it has been several days and they have not replied to my latest email. I haven't tried to call them yet. Will I get anywhere by calling them? Has anyone else here ever had this happen to them before? If I do call them, should I try to demand that they give me all the funds back if they can't produce evidence of the disputed transaction? Is it possible that my credit card company disputed the transaction (more than a week ago) without me knowing, and without the customer service rep being able to see that it was disputed?
]]>Poker Community Discussionmdj1980https://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?14985-What-do-I-do-herePoker Stars crashed June 4th 4Pm PSThttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?14969-Poker-Stars-crashed-June-4th-4Pm-PST&goto=newpost
Mon, 05 Jun 2017 00:35:41 GMTI was playing a tourney and it just stopped dealing. I logged out and in but nothing was working. Finally my tournament popped up but I had lost 12k in chips. 90 minutes into the crash there was a notice that it was canceled due to technical reasons. They must have done a chip chop because I got paid about $120. Pissed me off. Was playing a tourney with almost 10k in players and was down to 1500 and was about in 400th place with 25k for first.
Attachment 31137 (https://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=31137)I was playing a tourney and it just stopped dealing. I logged out and in but nothing was working. Finally my tournament popped up but I had lost 12k in chips. 90 minutes into the crash there was a notice that it was canceled due to technical reasons. They must have done a chip chop because I got paid about $120. Pissed me off. Was playing a tourney with almost 10k in players and was down to 1500 and was about in 400th place with 25k for first.

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]]>Poker Community DiscussionMatt The Rathttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?14969-Poker-Stars-crashed-June-4th-4Pm-PSTVenmo now shutting down accounts receiving big $ / used for gamblinghttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?14930-Venmo-now-shutting-down-accounts-receiving-big-used-for-gambling&goto=newpost
Tue, 30 May 2017 23:17:35 GMTAri Engel lost his Venmo account due to receiving many thousands of dollars for pieces of his $111k One Drop package.

Venmo shut him down for being "high risk", meaning that they didn't want to be responsible for handling so many large payments. But it's also possible the fact that his gambling transactions had something to do with it, as some people wrote "WSOP" or "One Drop" in the description.

If using Venmo for making gambling payments (even legal ones), leave the description field BLANK (or instruct those paying you to do so).

Also, do not receive lots of money on Venmo within a short time, as tempting as it may be. Try encouraging people to do bank transfers (it's getting easier to do this nowadays, and it's free), or to pay you by bitcoin or putting cash in your bank account.

You can also take personal checks, provided that you either highly trust the person OR there's at least 30 days between the check deposit and the WSOP event.
]]>Poker Community DiscussionDan Druffhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?14930-Venmo-now-shutting-down-accounts-receiving-big-used-for-gamblinghttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?14926-Stars-introduces-new-quot-Chest-quot-rewards-program&goto=newpost
Tue, 30 May 2017 04:16:54 GMT

Quote:

Stars Rewards Overview

Stars Rewards gives you Chests that offer a variety of rewards, all personalised to the games that you like to play. You can open Chests as soon as you earn them - or collect them and open when it best suits you. Every Chest offers you the chance at winning a huge prize, no matter what type of player you are.

• Excitement: Stars Rewards is designed to create excitement with a variety of rewards with randomized values. The more you play, the bigger the Chests.

• Big top prizes: Every time you open a Chest there's a chance that you win a big top prize. It might be $1,000 in cold hard cash, 1,000,000 StarsCoin, or a PokerStars Championship package worth thousands of dollars or, if you are a sports bettor, a big bet for an upcoming match. The top prizes will be changing on an ongoing basis, but every Chest for every player gives you the chance at a big prize.
• Personalised rewards: Chests will offer a variety of rewards including StarsCoin, free sports bets, tournament tickets, casino instant bonuses, and more, all personalised to reflect your gameplay. For example, a tournament player will predominantly receive tournament money or tournament tickets, whereas a sports-bettor would receive free bets. You will also earn StarsCoin from Chests, and will continue to be able to redeem them in the store at the same rate for cash rebates, tickets, merchandise, and more.
• Fasttrack your progress: You will be able to double the speed you make progress for a short period each session you play via 'boosts', designed to reward players who play more frequently and play in consecutive days.
We will be launching Stars Rewards first in Denmark later this month, with Italy planned shortly thereafter, and most other markets planned for later this summer. We will notify players via email when we are close to launching in each market.

Amaya going the e-sports player points route....and an inclination that they are trying to make the site more about gambling, than just poker.
]]>Poker Community DiscussionShizzmoneyhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?14926-Stars-introduces-new-quot-Chest-quot-rewards-programNew rule: No content from 2+2 allowed to be reposted herehttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?14901-New-rule-No-content-from-2-2-allowed-to-be-reposted-here&goto=newpost
Fri, 26 May 2017 19:55:42 GMTMason Malmuth's lawyer e-mailed me on March 31 with a demand to cease posting (and to cease allowing others to post) 2+2 content on this site.

I did not see the e-mail until today, because he sent it to an e-mail address I rarely check.

While the vast, vast majority of posts on this site do NOT contain 2+2 content, I told the lawyer that I was willing to comply with this demand.

Therefore, when posting any content from 2+2 in the future, please only post links to the thread or specific post.

The letter did state an allowance of "brief snippets of Two Plus Two’s content for commentary purposes", referring to the concept of Fair Use. However, while not defined by the e-mail, I would like these "brief snippets" to contain no more than a few sentences. If more than that, please simply link the 2+2 thread or post.

Thank you for your cooperation.
]]>Poker Community DiscussionDan Druffhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?14901-New-rule-No-content-from-2-2-allowed-to-be-reposted-hereTy Stewart says WSOP has stopped doing business with GPIhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?14887-Ty-Stewart-says-WSOP-has-stopped-doing-business-with-GPI&goto=newpost
Wed, 24 May 2017 19:04:04 GMTThe times are getting tough for Alex Dreyfus, CEO of the Global Poker Index.

While Dreyfus quickly "made it right" when the issue was brought public, I wondered if this would strain his relationship with the WSOP.

However, it appears that the GPI was paying the WSOP to use their system for the 2015/2016 Player of the Year, and now things have gone south, I'm assuming due to nonpayment.

On the last 2+2 Pokercast, starting at the 1:04:57 mark, WSOP director Ty Stewart discusses the GPI, and says that they have parted ways. He also reveals that he believes "there's a lot of people no longer doing business with that organization (GPI)".

Wow.

He also said that he was "not a big fan of the GPI system", which isn't something you say about a company with whom you concluded a successful business relationship. So there's definitely some bitterness.

So it sounds like GPI either ran out of money or breached their contract (or both), and the WSOP dropped them as a result. I'm guessing there's an unpaid bill.

It was recently announced that the WSOP would be using their own system for Player of the Year in 2017, and Seth Palansky revealed that the system was mostly developed by Jess Welman -- a critic of the GPI system in prior years.

I'm guessing that they had to scramble for a new system after severing ties with GPI, someone suggested Jess Welman, and they paid her some token sum of money to come up with something.
]]>Poker Community DiscussionDan Druffhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?14887-Ty-Stewart-says-WSOP-has-stopped-doing-business-with-GPIMike Sexton Appointed Chairman of partypokerhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?14871-Mike-Sexton-Appointed-Chairman-of-partypoker&goto=newpost
Mon, 22 May 2017 16:10:32 GMTMike's always been involved with the site since the beginning, mostly in marketing (even calling up a young "DanDruff" to get him to play on the site back in the boom era), but today's announcement confirms his role as the "Lee Jones/Stars" role as the GM of the site's operations.

GVC Holdings Plc are delighted to announce that Mike Sexton has been appointed as Chairman of partypoker.

Mike was one of the founders of partypoker in 2001, although for the last 15 years he has combined his position at World Poker Tour alongside his partypoker ambassador role. Mike was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 2009 and is a WSOP bracelet winner and WPT Champion.

Mike’s role as Chairman will be to represent the global poker community and guide partypoker to:

Invest in software development to deliver an industry leading player experience
Improve customer services and strive to resolve player issues in the same day
Reward the loyalty of players who start games and keep the action going
Look after smaller bankroll players with value added promotions
Fight against the use of third party software that gives an unfair advantage
Invest marketing budgets within the poker community
Develop partypoker Live to become the largest live poker tour in the world
Support partners and have their backs
Only appoint management who get poker, who are trusted, and who actually care
Hold hands up to the poker community when mistakes are made

As a result of his new duties, Mike leaves the WPT broadcast and Tony Dunst will be the one to replace him (with Vince VanPatten) starting next season
]]>Poker Community DiscussionShizzmoneyhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?14871-Mike-Sexton-Appointed-Chairman-of-partypokerWPN New Updatehttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?14849-WPN-New-Update&goto=newpost
Fri, 19 May 2017 02:14:51 GMTReally enjoying the feature that allows you to bet what you've won (or lost) in a raked double up after you click the 'X' to close out your table...

surprised stars/bovada didn't think of this one first...this is gonna have the recs shooting their money off a helluva lot quicker...awesome...

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]]>Poker Community DiscussionGambleBotsChafedPenishttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?14849-WPN-New-UpdateNo more November 9 -- Live coverage of ME starting on Day 1A (and PokerCentral now has rights)https://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?14821-No-more-November-9-Live-coverage-of-ME-starting-on-Day-1A-(and-PokerCentral-now-has-rights)&goto=newpost
Mon, 15 May 2017 14:45:19 GMTFollowing article was just released.
-PokerCentral acquires the TV/digital rights to the WSOP
-No more November 9
-Live coverage will start on Day 1A of the ME on a 30 minute delay
https://www.pokercentral.com/articles/poker-central-and-world-series-of-poker-ink-four-year-deal-and-extend-espn-relationshipFollowing article was just released.

-PokerCentral acquires the TV/digital rights to the WSOP
-No more November 9
-Live coverage will start on Day 1A of the ME on a 30 minute delay

They have basically become obsolete, due to the prevalence of Twitch feeds now.

They will still release "occasional" content via Holdem Manager and YouTube.
]]>Poker Community DiscussionDan Druffhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?14779-Say-goodbye-to-CardrunnersLuke Schwartz talks trash about Doug Polkhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?14751-Luke-Schwartz-talks-trash-about-Doug-Polk&goto=newpost
Wed, 03 May 2017 00:30:45 GMTpokernewsdotcom/videos/10155270174222265/
]]>Poker Community DiscussionDan Druffhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?14751-Luke-Schwartz-talks-trash-about-Doug-Polkhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?14675-UK-Poker-Player-Tony-Bloom-becomes-chairman-of-the-Brighton-amp-Hove-Albion-F-C&goto=newpost
Wed, 19 Apr 2017 21:33:35 GMTThis happen in Feb, but considering I once played with the guy at the WSOP, I found it interesting and funny:

For those who watched poker, especially European poker, during the early days of the boom....Tony Bloom, nicknamed "The Lizard", was often a staple of the various cash games and Late Night Poker programmes of that era. Hellmuth often complimented his play.

The first Premier League match of the weekend is about to begin. And with it, a weekly multimillion-pound gambling bonanza kicks off too. Their company can have £1 million riding on the outcome of a single match and more on the nine others that will follow in the next 24 hours.

But this isn't a bookmaker. It is Starlizard, a company that treats gambling the way hedge funds treat stocks. Officially, it describes itself as a betting consultancy that uses complex statistical models to generate football odds that are sharper than those offered by professional bookmakers. These are then sold to clients to help them beat the market. The company thus acts more like a betting adviser than a bookmaker — it doesn't actually take bets.

But the highly secretive company also masterminds one of the most successful professional gambling syndicates in the world, placing hundreds of millions of pounds worth of bets each year on behalf of high-roller clients.

Football is its biggest business, and if the goals don't go the way Starlizard's models predict, then people will lose a lot of money.

The bulk of the money Starlizard bets comes from Tony "The Lizard" Bloom, a maths whiz who earned his nickname for his cold-blooded decision-making at the poker table.

Football Soccer - Brighton & Hove Albion v Huddersfield Town - Sky Bet Football League Championship - The American Express Community Stadium - 23/1/16 Bobby Zamora celebrates with teammates after scoring the first goal for Brighton Mandatory Credit:
Bloom owns Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club, more commonly called Brighton or The Albion. Action Images/David Field/Reuters
Bloom, a veteran gambler who owns Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club, made millions setting up an online bookmaker and poker websites in the 2000s, and his net worth — which is a mystery — is estimated by some to run into the billions.

Bloom set up Starlizard to run his sports activities, and the business allows him to bring the cool heads and statistical rigour of Mayfair's boutique quant investment world into the murky arena of Asian bookmakers. He told one interviewer, "I wanted to gamble because I enjoyed it and, therefore, I needed to do it properly in order to win."

Starlizard workers are invited to share in Bloom's winnings. They are offered a free stake in Bloom's syndicate, putting them in line for payouts of up to £500,000 every six months — assuming the match results go Bloom's way, of course. If they don't, employees and other syndicate members must top up Bloom's gambling pot from their own pockets.

Ah yes, the gambling professional - a cornerstone of financial security!
]]>Poker Community DiscussionShizzmoneyhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?14675-UK-Poker-Player-Tony-Bloom-becomes-chairman-of-the-Brighton-amp-Hove-Albion-F-CBodog/Ignition eliminates table names and browsing of any open tableshttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?14673-Bodog-Ignition-eliminates-table-names-and-browsing-of-any-open-tables&goto=newpost
Wed, 19 Apr 2017 18:19:55 GMTSo if you were observing the lobby tables in the past looking for spots or trying to bum hunt anyone in HU you no longer can do that.
Attachment 30071 (https://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=30071)
Attachment 30072 (https://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=30072)
Regs are gonna be pissed.So if you were observing the lobby tables in the past looking for spots or trying to bum hunt anyone in HU you no longer can do that.

Regs are gonna be pissed.

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]]>Poker Community DiscussionBeerAndPokerhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?14673-Bodog-Ignition-eliminates-table-names-and-browsing-of-any-open-tablesLive at the bike tuchman hansonhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?14647-Live-at-the-bike-tuchman-hanson&goto=newpost
Fri, 14 Apr 2017 15:14:46 GMTJust finished listening to under the gun podcast with dave tuchman . Free pod on CLP site. Tuchman mentioned that he tried to send a whats up tweet to Abe Limon but he has been blocked . Duh wake up smell the coffee . You and your sidekick Fart Hanson got your old gig back and replaced Limon as a kick in the ass as well . Shit i would block you also.Just finished listening to under the gun podcast with dave tuchman . Free pod on CLP site. Tuchman mentioned that he tried to send a whats up tweet to Abe Limon but he has been blocked . Duh wake up smell the coffee . You and your sidekick Fart Hanson got your old gig back and replaced Limon as a kick in the ass as well . Shit i would block you also.
]]>Poker Community Discussiondaleboonehttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?14647-Live-at-the-bike-tuchman-hansonAbsolute Poker Remissionhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?14624-Absolute-Poker-Remission&goto=newpost
Mon, 10 Apr 2017 19:40:35 GMThttp://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/29...ssion-1662359/

interesting to say the least...don't know if this includes UB or not...I think it would (??)...

anyway might the fuck as well...
]]>Poker Community DiscussionGambleBotsChafedPenishttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?14624-Absolute-Poker-RemissionMy attempt to get one last hand without paying time charge resulted in major altercation at Bellagiohttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?14614-My-attempt-to-get-one-last-hand-without-paying-time-charge-resulted-in-major-altercation-at-Bellagio&goto=newpost
Sat, 08 Apr 2017 07:06:30 GMTThis story is straight outta something that would happen at Commerce.

I was in a 20-40 limit holdem game (a limit I rarely play live, as it's too low for me), because the 20-40 with 1/2 kill O8 game broke, and I was on the list for 40-80 limit holdem.

I was in seat 4. Seats 2 and 3 were fans of PFA Radio, and it was great meeting them. They weren't involved in this, except as LOL observers to the whole thing.

Seat 5 was a retired Chicago cop in a wheelchair, who appeared 60-65. Had a gruff demeanor, was kind of an asshole, and we already got into an argument earlier when he literally called the clock on me because I took 20 seconds to decide what to do (not exaggerating.)

Seat 6 was a loose-aggro 30s Asian guy who clearly wasn't a winning player. Played too many trash hands and bluffed way too much, even though everyone knew he bluffed a lot. We had a friendly rivalry at the table and seemingly got along well.

Seat 7 was a white guy around 50 who didn't talk much.

It was 7:30pm and they were about to do the half-hourly "time collection" of $6 each. I was under-the-gun, and I noticed a 40-80 seat was open, and I was next up on the list.

I didn't want to pay $6 time to simply play one hand under the gun (likely fold it), and then leave.

Bellagio seemingly keeps changing their rules on when you do or don't have to pay the time charge. In this spot at Commerce, by the way, they always let you play to your blind and not pay the time. Here I just asked for one hand.

The dealer just shrugged his shoulders, like he didn't care.

Just as he was about to deal, Seat 7 said, "He can't do that. He has to pay."

:wtf

I asked Seat 7 why he cared. "This is between me and Bellagio," I told him. "I don't see why this matters to you if I do or don't pay rake to them for one final hand."

Before he could answer, Seat 5 (wheelchair cop) and Seat 6 (seemingly friendly Asian guy) started yelling at me. Wheelchair guy kept saying, "These are the house rules! Why do you think you're anyone special?"

I told him that I didn't think I was special, and that if it were reversed, I would totally be fine with him getting one final hand before leaving if time collection had just come up.

At that point, the dealer oddly started dealing anyway, and dealt me in the hand.

Wheelchair cop yelled, "Dumbass!", and then Asian guy also called the dealer a dumbass, and the two started berating the dealer viciously for dealing me in. Only one card had been dealt, and the dealer stopped and told them they were out of line.

No matter. They started arguing and insulting him even more viciously.

I then took the dealer's side and said that these guys were being unnecessarily abusive to him. The two of them started yelling at me again, telling me I was "wasting time" by all of this. I told them that they were the ones wasting time, and if they had simply stayed out of the whole thing, the hand would be over already.

Then wheelchair cop said that I had better shut up, or he would smack me down. LOL!!!

I responded, "Are you kidding me?"

The arguing continued. At one point shortly after that, I got more aggressive with wheelchair guy, asking him, "Do you have a problem with me or something? Because you've been a dick to me for awhile before this. Looks to me like you have a problem."

He seemed to drop the tough guy act a little bit, replying, "I don't have a problem with you. I never said I have a problem."

Huh??

The poker room manager Craig was called over.

When Craig arrived, the dealer explained what was happening. Amazingly, Seat 5 and Seat 6 admitted they were being abusive to the dealer, and in fact continued insulting him in front of the manager!

The manager first said that indeed I wasn't entitled to a hand, something I quickly accepted, and left the game.

He then kicked out Seat 5 and Seat 6 from the game for 30 minutes, until that dealer's shift was done.

These two then proceeded to argue with the manager for at least 20 minutes about the whole thing.

I went back over to the game to ask the two PFA listeners what they thought of all this. They laughed, and one of them said, "The ironic thing is that these guys were so concerned about paying time and not getting their money's worth, yet they just paid $6 for time and got suspended for 30 minutes, so they got to play zero hands!"

Starting April 1st 2017 we will be focusing on our ongoing Free Welcome Bonus Offer. In addition, our branding team has designed some wonderful creative and banners to help support your acquisition efforts and drive in some big numbers!

Therefore, as of midnight March 31st 2017, all Cristiano Ronaldo & Neymar Jr promotions materials (ie. banners, images, etc) will have to be replaced as the Cristiano Ronaldo & Neymar Jr banner creative will no longer be valid for you to use from that date.

Amaya already fired a number of poker pros since they bought the company from the Scheinbergs, but they've been pretty aggressive with signing actual celebrities such as Ronaldo and Neymar Jr.

Oddly, Amaya has not announced a new marketing strategy to replace the Ronaldo/Neymar one, so they might just be cutting costs and deciding to just go with traditional advertising.

I have mixed feelings regarding this decision. While I agreed that most of the poker pros were a waste of marketing $, major stars such as Ronaldo and Neymar Jr do have an astounding reach, including on social media. I could see the value in having them, but at some point the cost is probably too much to justify.

Perhaps Amaya realizes that Pokerstars has enough brand recognition at this point to where people know how to find them, and they don't need to spend as much on advertising.
]]>Poker Community DiscussionDan Druffhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?14555-Amaya-firing-sports-stars-Ronaldo-and-Neymar-Jr-starting-April-1Tony G Banned from Entering Russia Allegedly for “Trolling”https://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?14543-Tony-G-Banned-from-Entering-Russia-Allegedly-for-“Trolling”&goto=newpost
Sun, 26 Mar 2017 22:20:40 GMT

Quote:

Antanus Guoga, his non-poker and birth name, is a member of the European Parliament for the Liberal Movement. Politico reported that the Lithuanian was added to a Russian blacklist, preventing him from entering the country. Tony G confirmed the accuracy of the report on Facebook.

“Antanas Guoga has been added to the list of MEPs banned from entering Russia. He thinks it may be partly because he trolled a Russian diplomat during a hearing in the European Parliament,” the article read.

That’s right, Tony G finally got into some hot water for trolling, perhaps for the first time since his full house was beaten by Vanessa Rousso’s higher boat in a televised high stakes cash game years ago. In that game, the politician taunted his opponent during the hand only to go bust. Some may refer to that as “karma.”

Why He Got Banned

Tony G, in a Facebook post, explained why he felt Russia blacklisted him from entering the country. He was a bit vague in his response, and the Russians haven’t confirmed if what he’s saying is true.

The former poker pro believes he was banned for speaking out in favor of anti-Russian policies. He refused to apologize for anything he said and doesn’t appear to be all too distraught over the ban.

Guoga isn’t a fan of Russian President Vladimir Putin. He has publicly criticized the leader, which is something the president despises. He also said his comments on Russian hacking and attempting to influence world elections may have contributed to the ban.

LAS VEGAS (AP) — When the Monte Carlo casino closes its eight-table poker room in about a month as part of a $450 million overhaul, the Las Vegas Strip will be down nearly a quarter of the tables it had a decade ago.

Casinos constantly adjust their floors to meet customer demand. And unlike the boom years when they competed for card fans after everyman Chris Moneymaker won the World Series of Poker's main event in 2003, poker's appeal in Sin City has been weakening this decade.

Some casinos have made their poker rooms smaller. Others have eliminated them entirely.

"Casinos added more tables in response to popularity, and once it became less popular, they took away the tables," said David Schwartz, director of the Center for Gaming Research at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. The peak of the poker room was 2007.

In 2002, before fans of Texas Hold 'Em began to rush to the Strip, casinos had 144 tables and made $30 million from the game. Five years later, casinos had more than tripled their poker revenue to $97 million with 405 tables. Last year, the game netted them only $78 million after the number of tables decreased to 320.

The situation is similar across the state. Casinos had 907 tables and made $168 million in 2007. Last year, they took in $118 million from 661 tables.

Even the game's proponents understand poker has never been a big moneymaker for casinos. That's because instead of gambling against the stacked odds of the house as they do in blackjack or slots, players wager against one another and the casinos take a portion as a fee for hosting the games.

Casinos were willing to do that to keep players in their establishments while the game's popularity soared. The boost was fueled by the rise of internet gambling and a watershed moment in 2003 when Moneymaker, as an amateur, won $2.5 million as people watched on TV.

The landscape drastically changed in 2011, when the federal government cracked down on internet poker and blacked out major sites — a moment poker enthusiasts refer to as "Black Friday."

MGM Resorts International, the owner of the Monte Carlo, attributes its decision to close the property's poker room to an overhaul that includes a full rebranding with the launch of a new luxury hotel named Park MGM and a version of the widely acclaimed NoMad Hotel. The company's nearby Aria and Bellagio properties have poker rooms.

The Hard Rock Casino Hotel east of the Las Vegas Strip closed its poker room earlier this month. Other Vegas casinos that have shed their poker room since 2010 include Ellis Island, Palms and Tropicana.

Property officials carefully choose games for their valued space and are always looking to maximize their revenue per square foot. Meanwhile, floors are generally smaller overall as casinos have morphed into full-service resorts with nightclubs, shopping areas, restaurants and other amenities.

"Gaming has become a smaller portion of the overall revenue mix and things like poker rooms are candidates for further evaluation as to whether they make sense or not at a casino property," said Brian Gordon, a principal at the Las Vegas-based research firm Applied Analysis.

Caesars Palace, owned by the company that owns the World Series of Poker, relocated and downsized its poker room by two-thirds in 2015. But the revenue it now generates is much higher per square foot, said Seth Palansky, the tournament's spokesman.

"We recognized the room was bigger than it needed to be," Palansky said. "You can make a lot more money per square foot with a nightclub-dayclub these days than you can with a poker table."

___

Follow Regina Garcia Cano on Twitter at https://twitter.com/reginagarciakNO / More of her work can be found at https://www.apnews.com/search/ReginaGarciaCano
]]>Poker Community DiscussionDonkCrusherhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?14542-U-S-News-Poker-tables-keep-decreasing-on-Nevada-casino-floorsShould we be concerned about poker sites exposure to bitcoin?https://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?14531-Should-we-be-concerned-about-poker-sites-exposure-to-bitcoin&goto=newpost
Fri, 24 Mar 2017 04:17:09 GMTWith bitcoin potentially going to have some problems soon.Due to the possible split. Should we be concerned about poker sites being hit hard by the devaluation.Since they are dealing heavily in bitcoin these days.
Could some go down? Leaving a players with money on sites SOL.With bitcoin potentially going to have some problems soon.Due to the possible split. Should we be concerned about poker sites being hit hard by the devaluation.Since they are dealing heavily in bitcoin these days.
Could some go down? Leaving a players with money on sites SOL.
]]>Poker Community DiscussionBincshttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?14531-Should-we-be-concerned-about-poker-sites-exposure-to-bitcoinPoker rooms...the strangest and/or the worst you have ever seenhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?14520-Poker-rooms-the-strangest-and-or-the-worst-you-have-ever-seen&goto=newpost
Wed, 22 Mar 2017 17:32:19 GMTI'd been thinking it would be interesting to hear from the PFA posters, and maybe hear discussed on the radio show, about your stories of the strangest live poker rooms you have ever been to, and the ones you have thought were the worst (or most "ghetto"). Certainly when poker rooms were opening up everywhere in the early 2000's they were often getting put in makeshift locations that often made for some odd playing conditions.

For example, I remember playing on a casino boat in Tampa, floating in international waters 10 miles off the coast. The poker room there was actually pretty nice, with a great view of the ocean. Another vacation I played in a building in Vancouver's Chinatown that looked like it had no business holding a casino, but up on like the 3rd floor it did, and it was a pretty nice, legit looking casino...or at least as good a casino you could have on top of a Chinese grocery store. So again, strange location but nothing odd about the room itself.

Probably one of the most "ghetto" poker experiences I've had was playing at Miami jai alai...all I remember was it was $2 limit (that was all that was allowed by law back then), every pot was capped pre-flop, and the dealer had to continuously remind the players that Spanish was not allowed at the table (even though I was probably the only one there who didn't speak it). There was no room, just a table thrown in the middle of the place. This is also probably one of the worst neighborhoods I've ever ventured into to play poker. Although now that I think of it, casinos are usually in pretty bad parts of town...

The last one I wanted to mention was the one that got me started thinking about this thread. The first poker room I ever played in regularly was at Potawatomi Casino in Milwaukee. When the room first opened up in like 2002 or so it was located in what was formerly a party room in the back of the bingo hall. So you had to trek back through the bingo hall whenever you went to or from the poker room. Fine. No big deal. What made this room so unique was what was on the other side of the poker room wall. Not too far outside the confines of the casino was a rendering plant, where cattle would go to get slaughtered. So every once in a while when a truck came in, the literal smell of death would waft into the poker room. The staff actually had to keep aerosol cans of air freshener handy, and they put them to use quite a bit. Thankfully now that room has long since moved to another area of the casino, and for all I know that rendering plant may not even exist anymore, but at the time that had to be one of the strangest situations out there.

No one even knows poker still exists on any level and no one even knows how to play poker any more..

No one is even interested in learning.

It's just the same old leftover,s complaining the game isn't tilted enough in there favor..

I'm enthusiastic about poker. Don't mind losing a little here and there and even I!! don't play anymore..

I took a $10 bonus on b.o.l. so I can't withdraw unless I rake thousand$.. so why bother even playing. In essence that's just straight crooked.

A.c.r. theis just the same grinders/ with all there 3rd party software..

No one new plays anymore and no one wants too learn or is interested.

Poker Stars is the only chance.. period.
There the only ones who make it fun, interesting and can attract a rec..

From new York.. I
Good by poker..
]]>Poker Community Discussionthespartenhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?14501-The-future-of-online-poke-trafficTrump admin orders resignation of remaining Obama-era US attorneys, including Preet Bhararahttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?14457-Trump-admin-orders-resignation-of-remaining-Obama-era-US-attorneys-including-Preet-Bharara&goto=newpost
Sat, 11 Mar 2017 01:32:40 GMT

Quote:

All 46 US prosecutors leftover from the Obama administration have been ordered to resign, including Preet Bharara of Manhattan, who was asked in November by then President-elect Donald Trump about staying on the job.
The request was formally delivered by Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Friday, who called the process a "uniform transition."

Preet Bharara was known for being the lead prosecutor for most cases involving various poker and gambling personalities, including against sports bettor Billy Walters, the huge Russian sports betting ring that nabbed many poker pros, and of course was one of the forces behind the Black Friday prosecutions.

He is rumored to potentially run for mayor of NYC or Governor of NY next.
]]>Poker Community DiscussionShizzmoneyhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?14457-Trump-admin-orders-resignation-of-remaining-Obama-era-US-attorneys-including-Preet-BhararaOnline Poker: What is Best Platform for Tournaments?https://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?14434-Online-Poker-What-is-Best-Platform-for-Tournaments&goto=newpost
Mon, 06 Mar 2017 16:04:22 GMTI only play Ignition and I play a fair amount of tournaments. I do alright and am certainly up overall on the site, cashing in about 20-22% of tournaments entered (not including SnGs, which would bring the avg up significantly).

One of the biggest advantages of Ignition is the user base, ability to use bitcoin, and the fact that players can't be tracked outside of individual tournaments, due to the anonymized-ish lack of usernames, etc.

Ignition has a big tournament series this month, but I was wondering what other sites people use for tournaments and why they may be better than Ignition.

Or, if there are people that play many sites, could anyone give me a ranking of the best to worst?
]]>Poker Community DiscussionGringoStarhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?14434-Online-Poker-What-is-Best-Platform-for-Tournamentsmouth and ass odors at the live tableshttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?14427-mouth-and-ass-odors-at-the-live-tables&goto=newpost
Sun, 05 Mar 2017 04:27:29 GMTLately at the $1 $2 tables i have been encountering severe hygiene issues from the players at the table especially the men. Their breath stinks to high heaven regardless of age but i do notice the older males breath smell like stale rotted teeth in dire need of a deep cleaning. On occasion they will get off the seat and that sweaty ass odor begins to penetrate my nostrils. If this is some sort of tactic to put people on tilt it seems to be working On occasion a young woman will leave the seat with a slight fish odor . Some men get turned on by it others find it revolting. If for one immediately request a table change but before i get that change i am forced to endure the stinkLately at the $1 $2 tables i have been encountering severe hygiene issues from the players at the table especially the men. Their breath stinks to high heaven regardless of age but i do notice the older males breath smell like stale rotted teeth in dire need of a deep cleaning. On occasion they will get off the seat and that sweaty ass odor begins to penetrate my nostrils. If this is some sort of tactic to put people on tilt it seems to be working On occasion a young woman will leave the seat with a slight fish odor . Some men get turned on by it others find it revolting. If for one immediately request a table change but before i get that change i am forced to endure the stink
]]>Poker Community Discussiondaleboonehttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?14427-mouth-and-ass-odors-at-the-live-tableshttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?14424-Doug-Polk-gets-quot-cease-and-desist-quot-from-GSN-lawyers-ordering-him-to-take-down-17-videos&goto=newpost
Fri, 03 Mar 2017 23:12:29 GMThttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZoPHHE-cmsc
FYI to Druff when he plays clips in the future: be careful or the DCMA Nazis might come after PFA next

FYI to Druff when he plays clips in the future: be careful or the DCMA Nazis might come after PFA next
]]>Poker Community DiscussionShizzmoneyhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?14424-Doug-Polk-gets-quot-cease-and-desist-quot-from-GSN-lawyers-ordering-him-to-take-down-17-videosGlobal Poker: The newest future fail site?https://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?14384-Global-Poker-The-newest-future-fail-site&goto=newpost
Sat, 25 Feb 2017 13:18:45 GMThttps://www.globalpoker.com/
Seems like a feeble attempt to evade the current poker restrictions and likely fail, but who knows?https://www.globalpoker.com/

Seems like a feeble attempt to evade the current poker restrictions and likely fail, but who knows?
]]>Poker Community DiscussionJohnCommodehttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?14384-Global-Poker-The-newest-future-fail-siteWPT has its first EVER Female Open title championhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?14327-WPT-has-its-first-EVER-Female-Open-title-champion&goto=newpost
Wed, 15 Feb 2017 18:53:24 GMTThe WPT has had a few close calls.. Several female pros have made the final tables in past WPT Open events.. Kathy Leibert has recognition as the most cashes as a female in WPT history.. But until 2/14/2017 no female had ever taken down a WPT open major event and earned the right to say they were a champion and had their name etched onto the Championship Cup..

Ema Zajmovic took down the WPT Playground Poker Championship yesterday for CAD $261,000 besting a field of 380. Her comment after winning "“Honestly, I am really happy that I proved women can do it. The funniest and nicest part of this experience was all the women who came and were so supportive of me. It was amazing. When I started playing poker, there was so much competition between girls. It was hard to be good and be supportive of each other. Now it has evolved so much and it is nice to see I had support from older women, younger women."

Ironically Zajmovic was also at the FT of the tournament Mike Sexton took down last year.. With the win she is now in 4th place in the WPT player of the year standings.. Its a good bet this might not be her only WPT Title..

Hendon Mob database shows shes only had a handful of reported cashes and this win more then doubles her lifetime earnings. Her best WSOP finish was a 929th in last years Main Event.

Oh and she gets a cool wrestling like title belt as well (Doesn't she look a lot like Liv Boree??)

Attached Images

]]>Poker Community DiscussionRyback_feed_me_morehttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?14327-WPT-has-its-first-EVER-Female-Open-title-championMGM National Harborhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?14292-MGM-National-Harbor&goto=newpost
Wed, 08 Feb 2017 17:19:17 GMTAnyone playing at the MGM NH? The low limit PLO games are great! Thinking about hitting the 5/5 PLO has anyone played in it?Anyone playing at the MGM NH? The low limit PLO games are great! Thinking about hitting the 5/5 PLO has anyone played in it?
]]>Poker Community DiscussionGoodpoophttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?14292-MGM-National-HarborPokerStars.FR banning all non France players effective 2/13https://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?14291-PokerStars-FR-banning-all-non-France-players-effective-2-13&goto=newpost
Wed, 08 Feb 2017 16:46:53 GMTAs much as I'd like to blame Amaya for this it's clear this came down from the morons in the French Government. PokerNews is reporting all players not located in France and its outlying territories will be unable to play on PokerStars.FR starting 2/13. Previously non French players were allowed if they had a EU bank acct and weren't in a prohibited country or another country with a seperate PS site.

I'm not sure what the fuck the French are thinking by banning outside players. I mean what can go wrong right. Lose a chunk of their player pool thus lowering the liquidity and rake the site takes in, driving players from the site. I don't know how much stupider they could be honestly. I can't believe French recs were complaining about non France based players on the site unless it was due to euro sharks feeding on the fish but I doubt it.
]]>Poker Community Discussionftpjesushttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?14291-PokerStars-FR-banning-all-non-France-players-effective-2-13RADIO TONIGHT!https://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?14262-RADIO-TONIGHT!&goto=newpost
Tue, 31 Jan 2017 22:26:56 GMTDidn't know if radio was on Tuesday again. Seems like the radio times have been changing so much that it's hard to keep track. - DOOOOOM.
]]>Poker Community DiscussionDoooomhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?14262-RADIO-TONIGHT!Carnegie Mellon Prof Poker Bothttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?14261-Carnegie-Mellon-Prof-Poker-Bot&goto=newpost
Tue, 31 Jan 2017 14:30:48 GMT20 days v 4 humans, apparently beat them down. Not sure how good the pros were, but interesting. Edit, more an AI program than a bot, sorry Hal.
https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/a-computer-just-clobbered-four-pros-at-poker/20 days v 4 humans, apparently beat them down. Not sure how good the pros were, but interesting. Edit, more an AI program than a bot, sorry Hal.https://fivethirtyeight.com/features...pros-at-poker/
]]>Poker Community DiscussionCharhamhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?14261-Carnegie-Mellon-Prof-Poker-Bothttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?14241-PokerStars-announces-changes-including-quot-SeatMe-quot-function-and-takes-away-ability-to-rail-live-cash-tables&goto=newpost
Fri, 27 Jan 2017 05:41:12 GMT

Quote:

These were the considerations we undertook before announcing today the introduction of Seat Me which aims to improve our ring game seating process by making it smoother, quicker and fairer. Seat Me eliminates the ability of players to pick their tables and seats at the tables, and will instead get them straight into the action automatically once a game and stake has been chosen. We will be testing this new functionality soon, on PokerStars.es, and will review the results of this trial before considering potential future use of Seat Me in other markets.
Seat Me will:
• Greatly reduce the ability to bumhunt
• Prevent seating scripts and level the playing field by undermining those few players using software that allows them to unfairly prey on less experienced players
• Mimic the live poker experience of random table and seat selection
• Introduce potential time penalties to reduce game disruption caused by players constantly switching tables, stealing blinds or refusing to play certain opponents

While this means live observation of ring game tables will no longer be possible, railbirds will still be able to observe ring game action through rolling highlights of key hands, with Team PokerStars Pros' play weighted to appear at the top of feeds to enable fans to locate and watch them more easily.

https://www.pokerstars.com/en/blog/c...t-164866.shtml
]]>Poker Community DiscussionShizzmoneyhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?14241-PokerStars-announces-changes-including-quot-SeatMe-quot-function-and-takes-away-ability-to-rail-live-cash-tablesCould legalized Poker be coming to a mostly Red state???https://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?14239-Could-legalized-Poker-be-coming-to-a-mostly-Red-state&goto=newpost
Thu, 26 Jan 2017 20:50:19 GMTMy home state of VA had a bill introduced last week to legalize Poker.. Now before you get too excited this would legalize B&M poker as well as home games implicitely.. Nothing yet for online poker but the way this bill is written it could very well open the door for Online poker very soon afterwards.. Bill S1400 clearly states Poker as a game of skill (thus not gambling).. S 1400, introduced by Senator Louise Lucas just a couple weeks ago, was reported, or approved, by the Senate General Laws and Technology Committee. Eight Senators voted in the affirmative: George Barker, Marnie Locke, Adam Ebbin, Jennifer Wexton, Scott Surovell, Jeremy McPike, Monty Mason, and William DeSteph, Jr. Of those eight, all are Democrats except for DeSteph.

The link to the article on FlushDraw attached..

http://www.flushdraw.net/news/virgin...ses-committee/
]]>Poker Community Discussionftpjesushttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?14239-Could-legalized-Poker-be-coming-to-a-mostly-Red-stateIgnition Casinohttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?14218-Ignition-Casino&goto=newpost
Fri, 20 Jan 2017 18:57:29 GMTI just joined ignition casino and have been playing poker. I have played on both my Mac book pro and my I phone and have not been able to get a good connection. It lags and loses connection a lot resulting in me timing out. I have also noticed other players timing out at the tables. This is extremely frustrating especially when I am involved in a pot. Is this an ignition problem? I don't have any other problems with my internet as I am able to stream movies and browse the internet without a problem. Seems like it might be a software issue with Ignition. Is anyone else have problems? Suggestions?
]]>Poker Community Discussionclcrew02https://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?14218-Ignition-CasinoOnline poker in Australia ddhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?14187-Online-poker-in-Australia-dd&goto=newpost
Fri, 13 Jan 2017 02:36:28 GMT888 has pulled out of Australian market with Pokerstars not far behind. This is due to pending legislation banning all forms of offshore on-line gambling. On-line poker is not the main target, but rather offshore sports-betting companies as they don't pay taxes. Legal - tax paying - online betting is huge in Australia (similar to UK) and IMO its all about protecting their interests.

Received e-mail today:

Hey xxx,
Following a business reevaluation, we’d like to inform you that 888poker’s services are not being offered to players residing in Australia and therefore your account will be closed as of 16/01/2017.

You’ll continue to be able to withdraw all funds from your bankroll using our web cashier.

If you’ve already registered to any of our tournaments starting from 16/01/2017 onwards, please unregister as you won’t be able to participate.

Regards,
888poker team
]]>Poker Community Discussionvegemaybehttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?14187-Online-poker-in-Australia-ddMen VS Machine NL $200K Prizehttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?14171-Men-VS-Machine-NL-200K-Prize&goto=newpost
Tue, 10 Jan 2017 22:52:32 GMThttps://www.inverse.com/article/26168-pro-poker-players-play-against-ai
Last year the humans crushed the AI machine, what will happen this year?https://www.inverse.com/article/2616...lay-against-ai

Last year the humans crushed the AI machine, what will happen this year?
]]>Poker Community DiscussionDonaldTrumpsHairPiecehttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?14171-Men-VS-Machine-NL-200K-PrizeThe Poker Vlog Wars of 2017https://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?14169-The-Poker-Vlog-Wars-of-2017&goto=newpost
Tue, 10 Jan 2017 20:37:16 GMTPoker vlogs have been mentioned a few times in recent episodes of the radio show. Specifically, in the 12-07-16 episode, Druff and khalwat discussed a recent controversy involving vloggers being told to stop filming live hands at the poker table. Notably, a vlogger named TheTrooper97 was brought up as he is one of the most well known poker vloggers. Druff didn't know much about him (by the way Druff, it's pronounced exactly like "blog" with a "v" replacing the "b" - one syllable, not "vee-log"), and it didn't sound like khalwat thought much of him.

I've been fascinated with the idea of people moving to Vegas to play poker professionally. Not as a goal, but as some kind of perverse punishment. I enjoy playing low stakes live poker a few times a year (mostly on vacation), but I can't begin to imagine doing it full time. Yet I come across locals every trip to Vegas who seem to be doing just that - somehow grinding out an existence playing $1/$2 full time in Vegas. Whenever my buddy and I go to Vegas, I ask him how much he would have to be paid to quit his job and move to Vegas to play $1/$2 live NLH full time. Each visit, that figure keeps getting bigger. I don't know how people do it.

The aforementioned Trooper has actually documented what this lifestyle looks like in his vlog which I came across a couple of years ago on YouTube. I watched his videos occasionally and subsequently followed a thread (since closed) about him on 2+2. Then last year I was in Vegas on a brief trip and was playing a $1/$2 game at the Bellagio and he happened to sit down at my table. We chatted for a bit about his vlog and I generally found him to be a nice guy. At the time he maybe had a couple thousand subscribers on YouTube and now has over 20,000.

In the past two months or so, YouTube has exploded with new poker vlogs. Trooper had the market cornered for nearly 4 years and now there are dozens of poker vlogs with more "My Poker Vlog Pilot" videos showing up on YouTube every day. Suddenly it's become fashionable to start your own live poker vlog. A handful of these are interesting. Most of them are awful. A lot of them are discussed in another thread on 2+2 which was opened after the original Trooper thread was closed. It's an amazing dumpster fire of trolls versus vlog supporters. In fact, the original Trooper thread had to be closed because there was so much trolling of Trooper.

Here's my honest assement of a few of the Las Vegas Poker vlogs (I haven't really waded into the non-Vegas vlogs).

Brief description: The Trooper is a $1/$2 Las Vegas grinder who drinks a lot of Starbucks.

Pros: The Trooper is considered the OG of poker vlogging. He's done it the longest and is somewhat of an innovator in that respect. He's the most prolific vlogger too. He puts out a new video almost every day. Many call him lazy but shooting, editing, and uploading a video every single day must be an insane amount of work. He has also developed pretty good editing skills. He reports the results of every single session he plays. It's a very frank look at the bleak reality of trying to make it as an average full time low stakes grinder in Vegas.

Cons: With daily content comes inevitable repetitiveness. He seems to do the same thing in every episode - sleep in, go get coffee, complain about something, maybe sit in a $1/$2 game, walk around the Strip for a while and eat unhealthy food, finish the poker session, rinse-and-repeat. He doesn't seem to be making any progress in poker as he hasn't really moved beyond the $1/$2 level. His vlog persona is one of a faux angry tough guy which is off-putting to many. He lives in a nice apartment but doesn't have any furniture and just throws his clothes on the floor. He can be very frustrating to watch.

Brief description: Las Vegas pro who very quickly usurped TheTrooper as the best poker vlogger.

Pros: Neeme only started his vlog 3 months ago and he already has 10,000 more subscribers than Trooper. Viewers immediately declared him the better vlogger. He popularized the style of filming his live hands during sessions and providing voice-over analysis in post-production (Trooper would merely film a hand or two during a session and didn't commentate). He plays higher stakes (up to $10/$20 I believe) which makes it more interesting. His editing skills are great. He also has a likable personality on camera.

Cons: The biggest con is that he doesn't put out more frequent content.

Brief description: German low-stakes grinder in Las Vegas who has been vlogging since about May 2016.

Pros: Pokerkraut's best asset is that he can be fairly funny. He used to deal poker with Trooper at the Linq for about a year before the room closed. They are friends and have a weight-loss challenge going for 2017.

Cons: His editing could be better. Terrible background music selection. Infrequent content.

Brief description: Professional poker player and blackjack counter. Seems to be based in the Bay Area but has included some Vegas content.

Pros: Includes videos on life as blackjack pro which could be interesting to some.

Cons: Probably the most punchable face in poker vlogging. He comes off as a smarmy little wiener both in his videos and in his replies to comments on his YouTube channel. His hand analysis is way too in depth. I've never actually watched a full video because I couldn't listen to him talk anymore.

Pros: Seems to be the only vlogger who exclusively vlogs his MTTs which is a nice change of pace. He's been on an absolutely sick run since starting the vlog winning about $60K in Vegas tournaments over the past 2 months: http://pokerdb.thehendonmob.com/player.php?a=r&n=101781

Cons: Terrible at editing videos. Extremely monotone. Comes off as a real weirdo. He had a couple of really creepy videos that he has since deleted.

On January 8 we learned that the user database at http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com had been compromised. We cannot find any evidence that accounts created after approximately November 20 have been compromised (we fixed a problem that day) but as a registered users you should assume that if you've been a member of the forums since before that date that the information necessary to determine your (unchanged) password is out there. Information obtained includes username, email, encrypted password, birthdate, and IP address.

The people "selling" the database claim a December 7 date, but we believe this to be wrong.

We are asking all users to reset their password if it hasn't changed in the last 45 days. You will be prompted to do so the next time you login to the forums. In addition we will shortly be invalidating the passwords of accounts that have not been active for some time. The users of those accounts will need to follow the forgotten password link to reset their password.

A user suggested that the following actions are incredibly important, and we agree:

1) Change your Password on 2+2
2) Change ALL other passwords that are the same or similair
3) Start using unique passwords for every site, these breaches are so common. I'd recommend a password manager like lastpass
4) enable 2 factor authentication on any vital accounts/emails
5) Take extra precautions to verify identity when trading via 2+2 (or any other site) via separate means

Regards,

The Two Plus Two Management

:fail
]]>Poker Community DiscussionShizzmoneyhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?14166-TwoPlusTwo-User-database-hacked-(again)William Kassouf with another big score!https://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?14062-William-Kassouf-with-another-big-score!&goto=newpost
Thu, 22 Dec 2016 16:19:33 GMTWilliam Kassouf won the last EPT tournament. $532,500 euros in the High Roller Event with a strange heads up deal.
2nd place took $748,191 euros. Patrick Serda who is from my home town.
Patrick had a 4 to 1 chip lead and took almost 1st place money and William got the hardware.
LIKE A BOSS.......Marvelous!
I think the his biggest fan the colonel should give him another call!William Kassouf won the last EPT tournament. $532,500 euros in the High Roller Event with a strange heads up deal.

2nd place took $748,191 euros. Patrick Serda who is from my home town.

Patrick had a 4 to 1 chip lead and took almost 1st place money and William got the hardware.

LIKE A BOSS.......Marvelous!

I think the his biggest fan the colonel should give him another call!
]]>Poker Community DiscussionCdubhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?14062-William-Kassouf-with-another-big-score!Philippine president Duterte says he will stop all online gamblinghttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?14061-Philippine-president-Duterte-says-he-will-stop-all-online-gambling&goto=newpost
Thu, 22 Dec 2016 14:32:53 GMT

Quote:

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte announced on Thursday he would halt all online gambling in his country.

Duterte made the comment while announcing a 2017 budget that focused heavily on populist measures. He gave no timeframe for such a ban or details on its scope.

The firebrand former mayor has been a worry for the country's booming online gambling industry and in August scrapped one firm's 13-year monopoly of gambling in licensed online cafes.

The Philippine gambling industry is one of Asia's most freewheeling, attracting many online foreign companies over the last decade to set up servers aimed at overseas punters, and has lured investments of billions of dollars in casino resorts.

As Druff has alluded to in the past, some of Bovada's payment processing was handled in the Phillipines. Methinks that this guy may one of their reasons for a drawback by Bovada in the US market this past fall.
]]>Poker Community DiscussionShizzmoneyhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?14061-Philippine-president-Duterte-says-he-will-stop-all-online-gamblinghttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?14036-EPT-is-done-next-year-and-replaced-with-quot-Pokerstars-Live-quot&goto=newpost
Sat, 17 Dec 2016 22:48:49 GMTEPT has been canceled for next year.
There will not be a stop in Malta. Your laptops should be safe????
It is now call Pokerstars Live.
Championship stops in Bahamas.....Panama.....Macau
Festival stops in London.....RozuadovEPT has been canceled for next year.

There will not be a stop in Malta. Your laptops should be safe????

It is now call Pokerstars Live.

Championship stops in Bahamas.....Panama.....Macau

Festival stops in London.....Rozuadov
]]>Poker Community DiscussionCdubhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?14036-EPT-is-done-next-year-and-replaced-with-quot-Pokerstars-Live-quotLuckyChewy Pokerhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?13995-LuckyChewy-Poker&goto=newpost
Mon, 12 Dec 2016 05:06:36 GMTtrying to figure how big of a fail this thing is going to be...although he does have that jesus Christ look so maybe there will be people who will be like, 'fuck it this seems like an enlightened idea'...

http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/29...poker-1642879/
]]>Poker Community DiscussionGambleBotsChafedPenishttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?13995-LuckyChewy-PokerBodog/Ignition RAKE increase on December 13thhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?13986-Bodog-Ignition-RAKE-increase-on-December-13th&goto=newpost
Fri, 09 Dec 2016 17:38:34 GMTCan't find a FAQ on Ignition but Bodog is the network so obviously this applies to Ignition.

Rake will be collected at $0.01 for every $0.20 in the pot, instead of the previous $0.05 per $1.00
Max rake will be moving on Heads-Up Tables from $0.50 to $1.00
Max rake will be moving on Pot Limit and No Limit tables at stakes higher than $0.10/$0.25 from $3 to $4

Rape those micro players some more so they can't move up that easy but doubling the heads up table rake is ridiculous.
]]>Poker Community DiscussionBeerAndPokerhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?13986-Bodog-Ignition-RAKE-increase-on-December-13thPokernews removes article criticizing poker as a profession, reporter quits after pros twitter tilthttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?13926-Pokernews-removes-article-criticizing-poker-as-a-profession-reporter-quits-after-pros-twitter-tilt&goto=newpost
Tue, 29 Nov 2016 14:42:47 GMTSo a columnist on Pokernews, Marty Derbyshire, writes an article (that Pokernews would later delete) criticizing playing poker for a living as a profession, which got quite a few "pros" upset and angry on twitter.

Screenshots of the article:

Pokernews editor (and Howard Lederer fluffer) Matthew Parvis responded after the article was published (he claims "in error" lol) and the twitter tilt became too much to bear:

The thing is: I agree with a portion of what he said. Was he crass and harsh and dismissive of playing poker, and those who do it, for a living? Yes. But it's not the easiest living either, and his frankness on what he saw from the outside looking in on the "profession" of gambling as a whole certainly had it merits and was a sobering take. Older pros like Todd Brunson even defended his opinion, and others like Doug Lee (actually WillieMcFML... LOL!) blasted Parvis and Pokernews for using Darbyshire's "contrarian" angle for clicks and then bailing once he wrote something too controversial.

]]>Poker Community DiscussionShizzmoneyhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?13926-Pokernews-removes-article-criticizing-poker-as-a-profession-reporter-quits-after-pros-twitter-tiltPoker Historian and Author Jonhhy Hughes Passes Awayhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?13859-Poker-Historian-and-Author-Jonhhy-Hughes-Passes-Away&goto=newpost
Mon, 14 Nov 2016 02:11:18 GMTFolks who have read 2p2 for a while might remember the name from some of the fun "hidden story" missives he would post on 2p2 about WSOP players from back in the day. He was actually banned from there at one point. Always a fun read. RIP

Quote:

Johnny Hughes, a poker historian, author and former manager of the Joe Ely Band, recently passed away. The Lubbock, Texas native wrote columns for numerous poker magazines and published several books including a novel titled Texas Poker Wisdom. Hughes is a well-known raconteur and a man of many talents. Benny Binion hired a young Hughes to be a prop player in Vegas. Later on, he earned a Ph.D. and taught at Texas Tech for twenty years. Hughes grew up with Buddy Holly and frequently player poker with Holly and his bandmates…before and after Holly got famous. Hughes held other jobs including traveling salesman, working in a TV station, and smuggling bootlegged liquor from Mexico into Texas. Hughes played poker with Hall of Famers like Sailor Roberts, Doyle Brunson, Johnny Moss, and Treetop Strauss.

http://en.clubpoker.net/poker-histor...ses-away/n-437
]]>Poker Community DiscussionShizzmoneyhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?13859-Poker-Historian-and-Author-Jonhhy-Hughes-Passes-Away5dimes no longer running a Sharktank poker skin?https://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?13844-5dimes-no-longer-running-a-Sharktank-poker-skin&goto=newpost
Thu, 10 Nov 2016 18:57:41 GMTAs of now, they only have Grand Poker as a skin. Virtually no one plays on it. Sharktank used to be quite lively, it even had stud tables.
Anyone know whats up with that?As of now, they only have Grand Poker as a skin. Virtually no one plays on it. Sharktank used to be quite lively, it even had stud tables.

Anyone know whats up with that?
]]>Poker Community Discussionsonatinehttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?13844-5dimes-no-longer-running-a-Sharktank-poker-skinPA House Passes online poker billhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?13777-PA-House-Passes-online-poker-bill&goto=newpost
Mon, 31 Oct 2016 02:43:15 GMThttp://www.flushdraw.net/news/pennsylvania-house-passes-online-gambling-bill/http://www.flushdraw.net/news/pennsy...gambling-bill/
]]>Poker Community Discussionhardeighthttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?13777-PA-House-Passes-online-poker-billDave “El Blondie” Colclough, dead at 52 to cancerhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?13710-Dave-“El-Blondie”-Colclough-dead-at-52-to-cancer&goto=newpost
Wed, 19 Oct 2016 18:04:50 GMTHe was one of the early stars in the UK, along with David "Devilfish" Ulliott, who also died of cancer at 61 last year.

RIP

Quote:

British poker player Dave Colclough, affectionately known as “El Blondie,” died Oct. 18 after a battle with cancer at 52 years old.

Colclough was a regular feature on Late Night Poker in the United Kingdom, often competing against the likes of Simon Trumper, Surinder Sunar, Joe Beevers, Barny and Ross Boatman and the late Dave “Devilfish” Ulliott.

Hailing from Carmarthen in Wales, Colclough was a computer programmer before taking up poker full time. Colclough’s first recorded cash on his Hendon Mob page dates back to February 1995 when he finished eighth in a £100 Pot Limit Hold’em tournament in London for £350. Since then, Colclough amassed live tournament winnings of $2,639,641, enough for him to occupy second place in the Wales all-time money list.

Bit of background. I wanted to get more involved with the props as my local only post selective ones. I remembered I had an old bovada account I ran up hard back in the day and a SB.AG account too. Bovada wouldn't even let me deposit because I am from NY, however SB.AG was fine with it as long as I used bitcoin. I made 2 small deposits totaling $500 and ran it up to $1k on like 7ish small bets. I then was going to go heavy on props with a friend and we deposited an additional 5k yesterday.

This morning at work I recieved a blocked call on my cell, it was from SB.AG and they stated that my account was being closed for suspicious activity and that I need to go on the site and verify my banking info to withdraw (note my account is verified for bitcoin withdrawal and I didnt even have an option to deposit or withdraw with anything but bitcoin up until that point). I asked them for specifics and they refused to say anything and just kept saying "suspicious activity" and " the decision is final".

So fine whatever, I was more worried about the money and asked what the process was going to be. They stated that it would be done in 2 separate wires each being charged a 3% fee and $30 service charge! I asked why I wasn't getting my free monthly withdrawal and they said "this is policy, apologies our decision is final".

I asked for a supervisor and got the same answer. Finally after 5min "Sir if you do not provide your banking documents on the site you will not be able to withdraw. There is not much else to say. If you want to receive your funds in a timely manner please upload the requested docs".

I ended up just ending the call, but it's bullshit that they closed my account AND are charging me the withdrawal fee AND it has to be by wire and not bitcoin... which my friend said "they prob think you are a fed" well if that's the case, wouldn't bitcoin be safer? I uploaded my docs and now my withdrawals are "pending". Sending my buddy his money, but this whole shit is sucks.

Has this happened to anyone?
]]>Poker Community Discussionhandicapmehttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?13637-Sportsbook-ag-account-closed-with-barely-any-use-NY-stateBlack Friday 2016?? KGC announces they are banning US Players from all sites hosted therehttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?13541-Black-Friday-2016-KGC-announces-they-are-banning-US-Players-from-all-sites-hosted-there&goto=newpost
Mon, 26 Sep 2016 22:05:55 GMTIronic in that I was recently discussing the licensing process with the KGC. In a press release issued today by the NJ AGs office apparently the KGC will be banning all US Players from sites hosted on their services (which means every KGC licensee as they are all hosted by Mohawk Technologies) This apparently explains whats going on with Bovada and means No more playing on Bovada even for sports betting and casino plays. (not sure where Ignition is hosted and licensed at since apparently its not KGC).. Heres a link to the PR from NJ AG office.

I have to admit I'm shocked by the KGC is taking this action. Their MO has always been to tell regulators to go fuck themselves including Canadian Feds and Quebec Provincial authorities and why they would even remotely give a second thought to a US State AGs office just doesn't make sense.. There has to be somethingelse going on which makes me wonder if we are headed for another BF situation potentially..
]]>Poker Community Discussionftpjesushttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?13541-Black-Friday-2016-KGC-announces-they-are-banning-US-Players-from-all-sites-hosted-thereBest Way To Handle This Live MTT Situationhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?13486-Best-Way-To-Handle-This-Live-MTT-Situation&goto=newpost
Sun, 18 Sep 2016 15:07:36 GMTMostly a long time lurker and first thread I've started, so please be easy on me. Curious for opinions of how to handle a situation that occurred yesterday.

I'm a rec MTT live player here in So Cal for 10+ years, mostly on the weekends. You definitely want my money in your tournaments. Yesterday at Hawaiian Gardens they had a $275 bounty tournament. All tables were 10 handed with 30 minute levels.

I buy my entry and get assigned seat 5 at the 10 handed table. Before the tourney starts I get to the table and there is a really, really large (fat) guy already sitting in seat 3 - so large that there is a chair that has been moved to the aisle behind what will be seats 4 through 7 just so that he can reach seat 3. The aisle chair is clearly a chair that will eventually be needed for the 10 handed table. I'm no skinny guy (could afford to lose 10-15 lbs) and sit in my seat 5. Seat 4 then shows up and he's larger than me but smaller than seat 3. Seat 6 then shows up and, while he's shorter and thinner, we all have to squeeze close together just to get his chair out of the aisle and to the table. There is a discussion to try and "square" the table, which we all try to do after all 10 seats are filled prior to the start of the tourney. At this point, however, I am so squeezed in that (a) I cannot fully reach the table to properly protect and view my hole cards and (b) there is no chance I can sit there comfortably for 30 minute levels. Clearly the fat guy in seat 3 needs to be counted as two seats (sort of like the airline problem you read about some times).

If the above isn't bad enough, the very first hand, with me already squeezed and uncomfortable and unable to protect my hole cards, seats 4 and 6 get into an argument, with fat guy in seat 3 chiming into to further piss off seat 4. At some point all of them are screaming, directly into my ears.

I'm a very under the radar type of player, mostly there to have fun and relief from my occupation, where I typically encounter lots of arguing and confrontation on a daily basis.

With the above in mind, any opinions on what I should do?

Should I call the floor and complain about the really fat guy with everyone listening? Should I privately ask the floor for an accommodation? Should I give up on live MTTs, which is my feeling this morning to be honest and maybe why I'm looking for a second opinion.

*post script gossip - Barry Greenstein was playing this $275 tourney (at another table) even though there was a $1,650, $500,000 firing at the Commerce this weekend. How sad is that. Maybe the HG offered him a free meal or two to show up.
]]>Poker Community DiscussionJoeDhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?13486-Best-Way-To-Handle-This-Live-MTT-SituationI need a Bitcoin wallet for large deposits from online casinos and sports bookshttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?13455-I-need-a-Bitcoin-wallet-for-large-deposits-from-online-casinos-and-sports-books&goto=newpost
Sun, 11 Sep 2016 05:55:16 GMTCoinbase and Circle are starting to ask questions when you have a few large deposits. They want to know what you use their bitcoin wallet for and what you do etc etc etc. If you don't answer them they will shut you down. Most bitcoin wallets don't let you use it for gambling or business purposes. Is bitcoin become more and more regulated? I need a good bitcoin wallet that will accept deposits for business and casinos and sports books. Must be able to do 5k to 20k a week with getting shut down. Anyone know of any?
]]>Poker Community DiscussionMatt The Rathttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?13455-I-need-a-Bitcoin-wallet-for-large-deposits-from-online-casinos-and-sports-books2016 Poker Hall of Fame Finalists Announcedhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?13445-2016-Poker-Hall-of-Fame-Finalists-Announced&goto=newpost
Fri, 09 Sep 2016 15:53:56 GMT774274351231225860

https://twitter.com/#!/x/status/774274351231225860
]]>Poker Community DiscussionShizzmoneyhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?13445-2016-Poker-Hall-of-Fame-Finalists-AnnouncedTheory: It is better to create a new Ignition Casino account rather than transfer one from Bovadahttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?13418-Theory-It-is-better-to-create-a-new-Ignition-Casino-account-rather-than-transfer-one-from-Bovada&goto=newpost
Tue, 06 Sep 2016 06:58:40 GMTReasons:

1) The "perks" being given to transfer from Bovada to Ignition suck, and are nearly worthless.

2) Ignition has various "new player" bonuses which seem superior to any "transfer over" bonus, and I assume everyone qualifies for them if they don't have an Ignition account. After all, it's a "new company", right? (Wink wink!)

3) I am hearing rumblings about possible rakeback on Ignition for new accounts. Don't have the info yet, but I am hearing rumors of this.

Anyway, I see I can actually buy sports bonuses at a slightly better value (1.11 cents per point instead of 1 cent per point), but can only do so in $10 increments.

I don't mind buying a bunch of them in a row, as that can be done fairly quickly.

But what about betting them?

If I wanted to make a $250 bet, could I use 25 of these at a time?

Simply put, if I buy 25 bonuses, does it just plop $250 in my account which must be rolled over 3x on sports, or do I get 25 individual bonus tickets of $10 each?

Someone please explain this ASAP.

Support is useless and I don't trust them.

I tried to buy just 2 as a test, but I have to wait 24 hours for them to be issued, so this won't answer my question in time.
]]>Poker Community DiscussionDan Druffhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?13415-Question-regarding-Bovada-sports-bonusesCurious as to peoples opinions on somethinghttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?13405-Curious-as-to-peoples-opinions-on-something&goto=newpost
Sat, 03 Sep 2016 23:42:02 GMTAs we all know SWC was somewhat popular with some folks however the whole direct gambling thing was an issue and landed Micon with a felony gambling charge in NV.. I'm wondering if a poker site setup to allow people to buy chips and play online and say they could trade chips for gift cards and merchandise (such that could be obtained from say a discount shopping warehouse or like Amazon) would fit within the realm of legality as some skirt the laws as falling under sweepstakes rules in various states... As they would technically be able to obtain physical merchandise I would think it would be legal however one could make the argument that technically playing poker online and somebody winning those chips would amount to winning something of value and thus would be gambling.. Somebody came to me with the idea and I thought I would bounce it off some folks in here vs the brainless twine that inhabits 2+2 on most days.
]]>Poker Community Discussionftpjesushttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?13405-Curious-as-to-peoples-opinions-on-somethingWhite House Prop Bet Concernshttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?13399-White-House-Prop-Bet-Concerns&goto=newpost
Fri, 02 Sep 2016 23:59:38 GMTdelete pleasedelete please
]]>Poker Community Discussionhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?13399-White-House-Prop-Bet-ConcernsPhil Galfond to start poker sitehttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?13387-Phil-Galfond-to-start-poker-site&goto=newpost
Thu, 01 Sep 2016 02:36:39 GMT

Quote:

A Poker Site Should

A poker site should value poker players.

It should value the casual player for the money he's willing to put on the line to play a game he loves. For choosing poker over other hobbies, and for choosing their site over other sites.

It should value the enthusiast and semi-professional for the liquidity they provide and for growing the game. For spreading the word, across different mediums, about their favorite site.

It should value the professional for embodying the dream that brings so many people to poker. For proving that poker is a game of skill. For promoting the game of poker to their fans, students, followers or subscribers.

A poker site needs to believe in the dream of poker as a career. It shouldn't cater to professionals over other players, but it must make every policy change with the viability of the dream in mind.

A poker site needs to be a software and user experience company. Like other software companies, it should be eager to mine the trove of knowledge, experience, ideas, and feedback that is its player base. It should seek to build a fun and engaging environment that all types of players enjoy playing in.
A poker site should be transparent. It can't respond to every little idea, thought or wish, but it should do its best to explain its actions. It can't seek to please everyone by making changes that hurt the business, but it shouldn't ignore the public. It should be held accountable for the decisions it makes. It should be able to explain itself in a way that reasonable customers will understand.

A poker site should believe in fairness. Not fairness for the sake of public image and profits, but fairness for fairness's sake. It shouldn't let honest players, professional or recreational, be taken advantage of by others exploiting unenforceable rules. It should seek to put a stop to predatory behavior and to cheating of any kind. It should strive to create as level a playing field as possible.

A poker site should be agile in this ever-changing online environment. New ideas for improvement should be acted on. New advances in technology should be responded to. New problems should be met with creative solutions.

A poker site should understand that it doesn't have to lose for the players to win. Poker operators, professionals, and non-professionals all have their goals/wants/needs and these lists aren't mutually exclusive. It is possible for policy changes to be a win-win-win, or a win-win-tie. The search for these changes should be never-ending.

A poker site shouldn't obsess over where poker was five or ten years ago. It should seek to build a sustainable economy in the conditions of the present. It must continue to adapt to the climate.

I want a fair, honest, transparent poker site that believes in the dream that I have lived.

I'm going to give it my best shot.

http://www.runitonce.com/chatter/a-poker-site-should/
]]>Poker Community DiscussionMrTicklehttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?13387-Phil-Galfond-to-start-poker-sitetony g on poker newshttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?13376-tony-g-on-poker-news&goto=newpost
Tue, 30 Aug 2016 02:00:33 GMTWas listning to the latest instalment of the poker news podcast included a short interview with tony g he at one point indicated that poker news would be back doing it thing at the WSOP next year reporting and chip counts i am assuming, hope this is a fact as wsop did a really shit job and made railing the events boring.Was listning to the latest instalment of the poker news podcast included a short interview with tony g he at one point indicated that poker news would be back doing it thing at the WSOP next year reporting and chip counts i am assuming, hope this is a fact as wsop did a really shit job and made railing the events boring.
]]>Poker Community DiscussionBaron Von Struckerhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?13376-tony-g-on-poker-newsTools on poker starshttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?13316-Tools-on-poker-stars&goto=newpost
Sat, 20 Aug 2016 22:27:25 GMTSo are these hand trackers being used on stars? I've never used them but this guy does on his twitch channel

Attached Images

]]>Poker Community DiscussionDrawingdeadhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?13316-Tools-on-poker-starsPokerstars attempting to stop CA online poker bill from passing, due to penalty box clausehttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?13309-Pokerstars-attempting-to-stop-CA-online-poker-bill-from-passing-due-to-penalty-box-clause&goto=newpost
Thu, 18 Aug 2016 22:18:12 GMTAn online poker bill for the state of California is close to passing before the August 31 deadline, but Pokerstars and its partners are practicing obstructionism to stop it.

At issue is the new requirement to force Pokerstars (and all other online gaming companies who accepted bets in the US after 12/31/06) to sit out for 5 years before getting licensed in California.

I feel this is a fair penalty, as Pokerstars had those extra 5 years (actually 4 1/2) in the market to establish dominance, develop better software, and develop stronger brand recognition. So it's not far for them to just show up in the large CA market with that illegally gained advantage.

Anyway, Pokerstars does not like this, and is using its strong influence (va its card room partners) to obstruct the bill in the State Assembly, where a 2/3 vote is needed to pass.

If it does not pass Assembly, it will die.

If Pokerstars and its partners were to support this version of the bill, it would very likely pass and become law in 2017.

Instead, it looks like CA will likely have no legalized online poker for the foreseeable future, thanks to Pokerstars attempting to get a bill more favorable to itself.

http://www.onlinepokerreport.com/219...ate-continues/
]]>Poker Community DiscussionDan Druffhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?13309-Pokerstars-attempting-to-stop-CA-online-poker-bill-from-passing-due-to-penalty-box-clauseMGM properties are confiscating your poker comps earned more than a year agohttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?13275-MGM-properties-are-confiscating-your-poker-comps-earned-more-than-a-year-ago&goto=newpost
Thu, 11 Aug 2016 23:27:01 GMTIf you earn "poker comps" at MGM properties (any property with an MLife card), you might be losing some of them.

They have quietly made a decision to "expire" all poker comps earned more than a year before the current date. This occurs every day now.

Previously, poker comps did NOT expire. This is a new policy, which started sometime in July.

This does not affect comps earned in places other than poker, which have their own separate expiration system.

Poker comps will now disappear if they were earned a year before the current date and not used. If you use comps, it draws from the "oldest" (existing) comps first. I'll give some examples:

Example #1

March 8. 2015: You earned $30 in poker comps (starting from zero)

No other activity.

Under the OLD system, you would still have that $30.

Under the CURRENT system, that $30 would be gone, as you earned it more than a year ago.

Example #2

July 13, 2013: You earned $20 in poker comps (you had zero before this)
October 1, 2014: You earned $10 in poker comps
March 8. 2015: You earned $30 in poker comps
August 9, 2015: You USED $34 in poker comps, did not earn any
October 22, 2015: You earned $20 in poker comps

Under the OLD system, you would have earned $80 in comps and spent $34, leaving you with $46.

Under the CURRENT system, you will also lose the remainder of the March 8, 2015 comps which you didn't use, because today is August 11, 2016 (more than a year later). Since you only spent $34 of the $60 worth of comps you earned more than a year ago, you lose the other $26! So now you will only have the $20 you earned on October 22, 2015, and you will lose those on October 22, 2016 if you don't spend them by then.

Example #3

September 8, 2015: You earned $15 in poker comps.

No other activity.

You still have the $15 under the current system, but will lose that $15 if you don't spend it by September 8, 2016.

Example #4

July 13, 2013: You earned $40 in poker comps (you had zero before this)
August 1, 2013: You earned $15 in poker comps
January 9, 2014: You earned $30 in poker comps
April 7, 2014: You earned $25 in poker comps
October 1, 2014: You earned $20 in poker comps
December 4, 2014: You earned $25 in poker comps
March 8. 2015: You earned $30 in poker comps
April 11, 2015: You earned $35 in poker comps
December 9, 2015: You earned $5 in poker comps
February 10, 2016: You earned $10 in poker comps
June 3, 2016: You earned $20 in poker comps

You have never spent any.

Because you have been fairly active, playing every few months, it might (erroneously) seem things should be fine. Under the old system, you would have all $245 you earned above.

HOWEVER, under the new system, ALL comps earned more than a year ago -- everything but the last $35 -- would be gone. So your comp balance would only be $35.

------

This differs from normal casino comp systems, where ANY activity within the specified time period keeps ALL comps from expiring!

Therefore, you should find out when you earned all comps (go to the poker room manager for this), and then make SURE to spend every dollar you have for any comps expiring soon.

So let's say I find I have $150 in comps left, but I've only earned $15 of those since October 1, 2015. If this is my last trip to Vegas before October 1, I am DEFINITELY spending that $135 which will otherwise expire after October 1.

Again, when spending MGM poker comps, it will draw from the oldest ones first automatically.

Still, this is a really crappy system, and it's very difficult for all but regulars to avoid losing comps. Even worse, nobody was warned about this.
]]>Poker Community DiscussionDan Druffhttps://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?13275-MGM-properties-are-confiscating-your-poker-comps-earned-more-than-a-year-agoBye bye Bovada poker?https://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/showthread.php?13258-Bye-bye-Bovada-poker&goto=newpost
Tue, 09 Aug 2016 14:29:55 GMTHey Daly,

We have important news we want to share with you. Bovada Poker has been acquired by Ignition Casino. This means you’ll be required to transfer your account by September 30, 2016. After this date, poker at Bovada will no longer be available. You’ll still have access to Bovada’s sportsbook, casino and racebook products.

Ignition Casino uses the same platform as Bovada, so the features you enjoy such as anonymous tables, Zone poker, mobile poker and guaranteed tournaments, like the weekly $100K, will be there waiting for you. Both sites will also operate simultaneously with shared player pools until the transition is complete. Any Poker Points that you have accrued on Bovada will need to be used before September 30 as they will not carry over to Ignition Casino.

We’ll do everything we can to make this transition as easy as possible. Please be sure to visit our FAQ page where you’ll find information on account transfers, how to score your generous migration bonus, what to do with your Poker Points and any other questions you may